Brides and Circuses
by electric gurrl
Summary: As violent tension escalates between the Fire Nation and its colonies, Princess Azula is forced to choose a bride. Now the center of a vital political marriage, Ty Lee is alone in a strange new land, surrounded by supposed enemies, and betrothed to the infamous Monster of the West. — Azula x Ty Lee. AU.
1. Of Heirs and Heiresses

A/N: **Some Quick Facts About This Fic:**  
**Chapters: **35  
**Pairing: **Azula x Ty Lee.  
**Rated: **M for strong sexual content, moderate coarse language, suggestive dialogue, strong violent references and mild violence.  
**Notes: **This is a **_complete _**revamp of a fic I posted in September, titled _Blue Silk_, and I began posting the rewrite May 20th of 2015. It has now gone from a smutty fourshot into a leviathan fic with the most meticulous plot I've ever written. I'm not sure how.  
The AU is if Sozin conquered the Earth Kingdom entirely when the comet came, and Aang therefore is never unthawed.

* * *

**Brides and Circuses**

* * *

_"It is our choices, Harry, that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities."  
\- JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -_

* * *

Chapter One: Of Heirs and Heiresses

* * *

"You realize this is the most important day of your life," huffily insists Ty Lee's overdressed mother.

Her daughter slumps uncomfortably in her seat, incessantly fidgeting. Ty Lee was not built to stay still; she could never stop running around her house, doing cartwheels and fidgeting in class. And right now she is extremely concerned about the mess she left behind to go all the way to _Caldera _for a marriage negotiation.

Being allowed passage to the city from the Protectorates was rare enough. Being invited to have tea with Fire Lord Ozai was about as likely as champagne raining from the sky.

"I'm so confused." Ty Lee rubs her eyes.

Mother takes a slow, deep breath. "Your father and I have been negotiating this for weeks now, ever since _we _were allowed this choice. It was very important for me to select this life for you."

Ty Lee just rubs her nose with her elbow, making her mother's eyes flash in anger. She does want to be pretty and polite, but she is tired and knows that her marriage negotiations never work out. Much less one with the _princess_.

She and her mother are sitting in a room clearly meant for discussion of sensitive political information, although anything important is hastily covered by smooth crimson curtains. A pot of tea and a variety of sugary pastries are both in the center of a shimmering wooden table, but Ty Lee has had her hand batted away by her mother every time she reaches for one.

_The Fire Lord clearly doesn't care too much about being on time_, Ty Lee thinks as she clears her throat and rubs her eyes. She really _is _coming down with something; she doesn't have any antibodies to the Caldera germs.

"They're going to think you're ill if you keep rubbing your nose and coughing," mother says nervously and Ty Lee abruptly notices the panic in her eyes.

She stepped on toes for this, Ty Lee is certain. Or maybe she had her toes stepped on, for some reason. Either could mean life or death, and Ty Lee does not want to be responsible for any more violence.

Ty Lee is doubtful of this being a real negotiation. There must be much more qualified girls lining up for miles. Even in the _protectorates_, Ty Lee's last tentative marriage contract was broken, thankfully without progressing too far. Which is likely why her parents are so desperate for the Fire Lord's agreement; it would not only conceal the shame ─ it would be the most notable achievement in the history of their family.

Ty Lee hates that idea. But on the other hand, she know that she would not. Her life would end up in the hands of others, and they might as well be the manicured hands of the Caldera elite. As she walked down these streets for the first time, _everyone _was beautiful. Ty Lee was the prettiest girl most people had ever seen, but she feels overshadowed by this place.

At last, the Fire Lord enters, and Ty Lee gracefully bows, her lips touching the table. Her mother seems to at least approve of _that,_ but it is solely because Ty Lee is not in the mood to be beheaded or burnt to a crisp.

She is supposed to hate the Fire Lord. Yes, that is an important fact of this situation. In Caldera, everything is pretty and peaceful. In the protectorates, the war never ended. Despite the fully surrender over thirty years ago, Ba Sing Se only fell _two _years ago, and many of the cities had refused to be conquered.

There is no war in Caldera. There is no war in the majority of the protectorates. But the war still hasn't ended in Ba Sing Se and many of the surrounding cities.

That is all Ty Lee has known the name of Princess Azula for. Being the enemy. Being the face of the people who tormented her home and hurt those she loved.

Her _father _told her she must hate them, and now he seems perfectly fine with her becoming one of them.

Ty Lee will never forget the conversation that led to this.

_"You're going to marry," father says, examining his daughter closely. He is serving tea, and glancing out of the window even though it is past curfew and no one could be eavesdropping._

_All of her sisters were married off, each one to noble houses. Ty Lee is the last one left, not because she is the most undesirable but... because she is the most undesirable. She is more beautiful, she thinks, despite her sisters being identical. But her history as an adolescent runaway does her no favors in marriage negotiations. And her history in the Colonies and amongst the military gossipers is not helpful._

_"Wonderful," is all Ty Lee can think of to say. But hesitantly, "I can't leave now, though. You're in trouble and..."_

_Her father then smiles, and Ty Lee has no clue what is going through his head. He should not be smiling, because Ty Lee is becoming concerned that he might be lying and trying to give her an excuse to leave. But she will not leave, regardless of her mother's loathing of her father's supposed mistakes, and regardless of the dangerous climate and dangerous whispers about their family name..._

_"You're going to marry royalty," he says smoothly and Ty Lee is baffled. "You will be in the lap of luxury." He means that she will be safe and spared from what is brewing in the East._

_Then she contemplates the statement and assumes it must be a lie. She was under the impression that Prince Zuko was permanently exiled, and Fire Lord Ozai quite recently took a new, disturbingly young bride. Unless he means Earth Kingdom royalty... but they are all extinct._

_"I don't understand," Ty Lee says weakly. She can't leave him now._

_"Go with your mother tomorrow to take the journey and meet with the Fire Lord." Weakly, he adds, "I'm thrilled for you."_

_Ty Lee just stares at her food, having lost her appetite._

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," Fire Lord Ozai says coldly and calmly, his eyes examining the two women. Ty Lee is patient, yet impatient, as she is longing to know what this marriage thing is _about_. It is the most torn between two sensations that Ty Lee has ever felt before. "My daughter is currently occupied, but she will be ready to go on the first of many escorted dates."

Ty Lee's eyes widen and her mother's lips part in surprise, but both for different reasons. Her mother is shocked because she imagined there would be a good deal more negotiating with the Fire Lord, and Ty Lee is stunned because she did not imagine she would be marrying _Azula_.

Azula is famous for her brutality, her ruthlessness, her conquest of Ba Sing Se. It was the last stronghold of the Earth Kingdom, and then Noble Houses were awarded whatever land within the Earth Kingdom that they desired. Ty Lee is the daughter of one of those Houses, and has spent her entire life in the Colony Kingdom, save for coming to Caldera after the endless journey to stay in a nice hotel and be sized up for marriage.

Ty Lee fidgets and takes deep breaths, gazing longingly at the tea and cakes. This is not going to be an easy day, and she is sure of it.

[X]

"Help me get dressed," Azula demands of Mai, who only sighs in response. "Come on. _Help me_."

"I outrank you now," Mai replies smugly, running her fingertips along the smooth, reddish wood of the chair she is reclining in. "I don't have to do what you say. _General Azula_."

A cold reference to the time in the military together. She kind of likes it. Azula cocks an eyebrow. "Oh, but what if you _want _to do what I say?"

Mai now drums her fingers on the arm of the chair, her fingernails tap, tap, tapping away madly. Azula touches her own lips as she waits for what she knows will be the answer she desires. Azula undoes her dress further, giving Mai even more work, but she slowly caresses every part of her body that Mai so desperately wants to touch. A pallid, slender form, desirable and one Mai has laid claim to more times than is probably good for either of them.

"Fine," Mai agrees smoothly before rising and striding across the room to help Azula into her cute little robes that seem to be attempting to make her more innocent and amicable. Usually, Azula seems to dress with the intent to strike fear into the hearts of everyone around her. "Do you think you'll like her?"

"I have no idea," Azula admits, wincing and coughing faintly as Mai tightens the last of the sashes. "Perhaps I will, perhaps I won't. I _do _like to keep people on their toes."

Mai just shakes her head with a short sigh. "Well, I hope she's satisfactory. And hopefully she's as horrible of a person as you, so no one has to feel bad when she's forced to marry the Monster of the West."

Azula smirks and turns, her hips pressing against Mai's. The spark is there, the wanton pressure madly desirable. Mai lets her fingers trace a gentle, quick pattern on Azula's waist before they mutually decide to break apart. There is a time and place for things like this, and it is certainly not minutes before Azula is supposed to meet her best potential forced suitor.

"It doesn't matter. I bet you anything I can corrupt her with a single look," Azula replies teasingly as she slips out of the door, leaving Mai behind.

_And she will just have to learn how to love Azula_. Azula does wonder why she thinks of it in that manner, instead of the hopes that she will learn to love her bride. Maybe it is because Azula cannot imagine herself loving _anyone_, much less some young woman her father arranged to bear the children Azula is incapable of making on her own.

Not that Azula is complaining about being able to wed a woman, to not be expected to bind herself to a man for her entire life, never to be satisfied by that.

Ty Lee waits in the courtyard, her mother still beside her, waiting for Azula. The royal family seems to enjoy grating their guests' patience to the point of nonexistence.

"At least _try _to make it look like you have breasts," mother interrupts, poking Ty Lee's back and trying to force her to stand up straight and display herself in a more desirable manner.

"You want her to marry me, not... sleep with me," Ty Lee mutters, hoping her mother will not hear, or will not respond.

But she does, with, "I think what matters is if she wants to fuck you or not. And so help me, your father and I would let the entire Fire Nation fuck you if it would make you worth something to our ambitions."

Ty Lee rubs her eye, looking away and pretending not to be angry at that statement. She now has a sudden fire within her; the drive to wed a princess, become Fire Lady and spit in the face of everyone who has called her worthless. _Worthless. Circus freak. Worthless..._

She looks up as Azula walks into the courtyard. Ty Lee can appreciate her beauty; she is as famous for that as she is for her military accomplishments or royal blood. But Ty Lee is not... that is not her sexual preference. She cannot imagine _liking _sex with a woman... she is fairly certain there are things a man can do that a woman simply cannot, no matter how pretty she is.

Marriages between two women are rather accepted, even commonplace, in the Fire Nation. It comes, Ty Lee supposes, with such a hyper masculine society, a society that has thrived on being ruthless and all other assorted qualities that make an entire populace into weapons of war. A child between two women can be legitimate; granted that it is fathered by a male in the other woman's family.

Ty Lee has never seen a marriage between two men in her life, although she is certain they must have relationships with each other... not that she thinks it would ever be accepted.

But she knew, that there was some slim possibility she would be arranged into a marriage with another woman, but it was very unlikely, particularly in the Former Earth Kingdom where population mattered so much. It was probably why her sisters were snatched up so quickly.

"You two should be alone," Ty Lee's mother says, rising and bowing deeply to the princess before walking away.

Azula sits across from Ty Lee, claiming the stone lawn furniture as if it is a throne. Ty Lee does admire her power, her confidence. She would not be a bad person to be attached to in this world.

"It's an honor to meet you," Ty Lee says quickly, batting her eyelashes.

Azula smirks faintly and looks Ty Lee up and down. She thinks she likes her; she thinks that it does not matter what her personality is like because she is _very _attractive.

"Of course it is," Azula replies, disregarding the sweet protocol of dealing with commoners. "This is very uncomfortable; I'm aware."

Ty Lee licks her lips and can taste the metallic blood on them. She thinks she might have been chewing them to shreds right in front of the best chance she has at a decent future, which makes her feel ridiculous.

"Is this your, uh, first meeting with somebody?" Ty Lee asks awkwardly, rubbing her neck and feeling her peachy cheeks flush.

"Yes," Azula says earnestly. "I haven't been very interested in the matter."

Ty Lee blinks and tries to think of something to say. "I, uh... So..." She squints at the trees behind the princess and does not see the small smirk on Azula's lips. The princess kind of likes how befuddled this girl is. "You like girls?"

Azula hesitates, having never _actually _been asked that before. She is certain it has been presumed, given her dating history. Ty Lee bites her lip again, now genuinely concerned she has said something stupid. Maybe she is not interested in an arranged marriage, but she was aware she would probably face one, and also aware that she should not fuck it up.

"Yes," Azula says slowly, tracing a crack in the stone table with her fingernail. "You're wondering why my father is looking for women to fix me up with."

Ty Lee blushes and then decides to be straightforward. "Yes. You are... you're the only heir..."

To which Azula nods, thankfully.

"The fact that I'm the only viable heir is why my father is pursuing this type of marriage. Allow me to be blunt. This has nothing to do with my sexual preferences, and everything to do with my womb," says Azula calmly and Ty Lee looks confused. "It's funny, almost, the fact that the first wedding between two women I attended completely shattered my worldview. I suddenly realized that... mm, that was an _option_."

"You had no idea?" Ty Lee grins in amusement before clamping her hand over her mouth. Mocking the princess is such a foolish idea and she feels like an idiot. Azula's eyes briefly flash, but she seems to decide against anger or offense.

"I've been very sheltered in my past," Azula admits, her tongue flicking over her lips as she seems briefly uncomfortable. "I didn't think it was an option for me, even though it's common among nobles. The only people who are genuinely concerned about breeding at this point are peasants and royalty and nothing in between."

"Yeah," Ty Lee offers weakly.

"Unless," Azula continues and Ty Lee is starting to better understand her mother's conversation with Fire Lord Ozai. "Unless the only viable female heir has no way to make their own viable heir."

Ty Lee does not immediately realize what Azula is saying, but then her eyes flicker wide. "Oh... so this... well, I..."

"You didn't think your family was really so desirable to risk this kind of marriage?" Azula quickly tries to direct the conversation towards making Ty Lee feel the shame and inadequacy, before Azula loses her own footing.

"I just thought since I don't have any brothers..." It is working; Ty Lee seems quite easy to manipulate, Azula decides.

"That might have been the case if I weren't the last of my very important line," Azula responds casually, the concept of her single lacking ability no longer wounding as it used to. "That's why my father married an adolescent. Because it's troubling. Of course there's time; she isn't even mandated to try yet, and whoever I decide to marry will at least have a few years."

It was devastating, when she was younger. To think that she could bend lightning and conquer cities but not do something that any worthless non-bending Earth Kingdom peasant could do by _accident_ was offensive to every part of her. But she eventually decided that it had a positive side as well as a negative, and it was not a life experience that mattered.

To Azula, a _child _in her was not as great of an accomplishment as her conquests, her endless list of incredible feats. Destruction was always more appealing to the princess than creation anyway, as soon as she learned there was a much greater thrill in burning plants than growing them.

"Right," Ty Lee says, genuinely unsure what the proper response to that is. She _knows _it would be rude to ask how Azula knows that when she is only sixteen and has presumably never attempted to have a child before, but Ty Lee also has no clue how Caldera or royalty works, so perhaps it makes sense.

And it probably would be rude to comment on it as well. No one told Ty Lee how to do this.

"To also be blunt," Azula continues and Ty Lee has the sudden urge to hide under the table, "you're from the Colony Kingdom?"

"Mhm," Ty Lee says, nodding furiously.

"Do they teach etiquette there, or is there some kind of language barrier between us that I'm unaware of?" Azula inquires, and now Ty Lee _does _see her smirk.

Ty Lee pauses, opening and closing her mouth. "I... might have spent a few years living in a circus..."

The princess bursts out laughing, and Ty Lee cannot tell if it is mocking or not, or if she should play along. Ty Lee has never had a genuinely awkward conversation in her entire life. She has always been the epitome of a social butterfly-moth, and now has no clue what to do with herself as she nervously sweats and fumbles for words that usually come so easily.

"Well, what was your act?" Azula asks, deciding she actually does like this girl. She's cute... like... _poodle-monkey _cute. And circus freak is definitely a more interesting occupation than most her father has pointed out, or forcibly introduced her to at galas.

"Contortion. And acrobat... I guess. Uh, both maybe." Ty Lee rubs her neck and squints at the table.

"Contortion, huh?" and Azula quickly notices Ty Lee did not pick up on that innuendo at all. "Tell me about where you're from."

"Mmm. Farmland, mostly. It wasn't that nice, really. This place is beautiful ─ the buildings, at least. They're all so nice and well built and _old _but old in a pretty way. Also everyone is so well dressed," Ty Lee says with a smile. Azula thinks she might be earnest.

"I've heard the Colony Kingdom is beautiful. I've been there, obviously, having a decorated military career... but I never really, hm, saw it."

"Beyond beautiful, really. There used to be this hill I would climb up and there were so many stars and constellations. You could sees shreds of the cosmic clouds in the sky. And some summer nights, the sky would be cloudy but look like dark blue silk," Ty Lee remarks with a small, distant smile.

Caldera's sky has been blocked out by smog for Azula's entire life. "That sounds nice," she remarks casually. "So why are you so eager to leave?"

Ty Lee hesitates. Her mother told her to be entirely enthused about moving so the family would not wonder if she would be a liability.

"Why was I so eager to run away from home and join a circus? It's boring and gross and as soon as I was old enough, I had a lot of rules and... I never really went up that hill anymore," Ty Lee admits, shrugging and hoping Azula changes the subject again.

"That's a sweet story," Azula purrs and Ty Lee is yet again unsure if she means what she says. She sounds like something artificially sweet; like lemons coated in sugar.

Azula reaches out slowly, with caution but not hesitation, and Ty Lee does not move. The princess's hand touches hers for a second, before remaining there. Her hands are quite cold; they feel like death, and Ty Lee recoils without meaning to.

Someone probably made mental note of that, and so Ty Lee quickly tries to carry on the conversation without any other signs that she is more afraid of being wed to Azula than being rejected by her.

[X]

"So, did you like her?" Mai asks with her feet kicked up casually on a priceless table. Azula hates how attracted she is to the lack of care, yet absolute overconfidence of her best friend since childhood.

Her best friend who she would not have met without an arranged marriage between Mai and her brother. And a best friend she likely would have lost if it were not for a hasty secondary marriage after Zuko's permanent exile.

"I have no idea," Azula admits, sitting down. "I suppose it's partially my decision."

"Oh, it's completely your decision. It's not like your father is ever going to give up, and you'll have to settle for someone eventually if you ever want the crown, _but _I don't think he wants to disappoint you. It's whatever girl you pick who's screwed over."

Azula cocks an eyebrow. "She would be lucky to have me."

"No one is lucky to lose their free will," Mai says dryly before sighing. "This bores me. I honestly don't care who you marry."

And Azula can agree that she does not want to discuss the scenario any further as she advances on her secret lover.

[X]

Azula dreams about her decision, which is rare. Usually she stays awake when she is trying to make a choice, but this one did not seem to matter to her. She figured that her father would make it for her, and, therefore, Azula did not bother.

It is hazy, and Azula is aware that it is not true or real ─ or at least part of her is; she was never a lucid dreamer. It is a very strange night, and the sky is indigo and silky. She finds herself in a dense jungle, like the ones she has only seen in pictures in books about Sun Warriors, dragons and half-forgotten legends.

She stares, gazing very intently at the water of a crystalline pool, and touches it with the tip of her toe. It is broiling hot, but Azula is well aware that she cannot be harmed. Azula moves to take off her clothes before seeing someone behind her, and quickly touching her loose sleeves to her shoulders.

It is silent; there is an unbearably uncomfortable silence hovering between she and the girl she had a relatively interesting lunch with. The girl she did not pay much attention to, although she probably should have.

Azula makes her choice, or perhaps her dream makes it for her. She walks to Ty Lee and touches her shoulder, a gentle motion of initiation. While she expects some resistance from the girl who looked squeamish at the thought, Ty Lee kisses Azula on the lips. She does not cringe, as Azula saw she did when she touched her hand on the stone table, and Azula kisses her back, more forcefully, more passionately.

The princess's clothes are still loose, still half off from her attempt to dip into the water. Ty Lee removes Azula's dress, and Azula moves more quickly to take off those of the girl in front of her. She is almost as perfect as Azula knows herself to be.

"Well that's interesting," Azula remarks as she sees blue silk, resting on the gentle curve of perfect breasts, the same smooth indigo of the sky. She runs her fingertips along the fabric and Ty Lee shivers from pleasure.

There is no response to Azula's words, and she did not imagine there would be.

Slowly, Azula removes the pretty lingerie of the dark blue night. Ty Lee is too easily liberated from the uncomfortable fabric as Azula wraps one leg around her and leans against the slick rock of the hot spring they have met at. The dream suddenly registers to Azula as bitterly cold and she can feel that Ty Lee has goosebumps on her peachy skin as she kisses Azula's neck. She goes down further and presses her lips against her breast, and swirls her tongue around her nipple.

Azula touches her head with gentle yet forceful hands. And with her body propped in a manor she finds odd, Ty Lee is on her knees, tongue against Azula's cunt. A moan, a shiver, more moans and gasps. Azula spirals to climax and as Ty Lee slips away from her, she sinks into the hot water.

And then it is abruptly over. Very abruptly, before it even logically makes sense and Azula finds herself heated, pressed against her own mattress, locked to it by her hips.

She feels obscenely ridiculous for the dream, although it is admittedly not her first. But this one has been by far the most tangible and graphic. Gratuitous, almost. The heat in her body is far too much to bear, and Azula walks to her bathroom and covers herself in ice cold water, so different from the steam rising around her bare legs.

_Dream_, that was a dream.

And then she has the sudden revelation that... it could be a reality.

If she wanted it to be...

Azula thanks her hormonal subconscious that she tends to chastise for making her mind up for her.

[X]

"You do like her," Ozai affirms for the thousandth time. He has had enough incredibly disappointment wastes of his resources with his indecisive and overly entitled daughter.

She is far too comfortable with the status as the only living heir. Ozai thinks he will likely have to change that at some point, but he cannot help but also be used to living that way. Even if she were not vital to him ─ unless he somehow uncovers the secret to immortality ─ she is all he has left and he will admit to himself that he has some weakness because of that.

"I do. She's different," Azula says, shrugging one soft shoulder. "She's different and I want to experience more of her. And good looking. If I didn't like her don't you think we all would be able to tell?"

Ozai pauses for a moment before agreeing. "Then you'll join us tonight, of course."

"Of course, father." Azula bows respectfully before leaving him and going to get dressed.

Across the city, in the beautiful hotel near Sozin Memorial Meadow that Ty Lee and her mother have been offered a luxurious room in, Ty Lee is wringing her hands and feeling concerned.

"Sleeping all day was ridiculous," chastises Ty Lee's mother and Ty Lee clenches her jaw and suppresses a groan. She now is remembering _why _she ran away, and it wasn't just to distinguish herself from her sisters.

"I was up all night," Ty Lee snaps defensively, refusing to cave in to her mother's desire for control.

"Don't worry about this situation. You're a charming girl who every farm boy from four protectorates around tried to sleep with you. Just don't screw it up," mother says, attempting to be kind. Ty Lee does appreciate her effort, and does know she likes to remain as optimistic as possible.

"You were in an arranged marriage," Ty Lee says quietly and her mother nods. "Did it... You had to leave, right? And never see anybody again and have to..."

"You cry the first few nights, probably, but you get over it," her mother says calmly. "There will be plenty of people in the palace who you probably will take a liking to, even if you don't wind up starting to love your wife. I'm sure you didn't..."

"Want a wife?" Ty Lee suggests, slightly fiercer now. "I don't want a wife. I don't want to... that's not... I don't... I don't _want _to marry a... I mean, she seems fine, I guess, but..."

"But you all have to make sacrifices. I'm sure people who want wives wind up with husbands sometimes. Like the Fire Lady... she seems that type." Then Ty Lee's mother seems to realize what she said. "Not to speak ill of the empires ruler, of course."

She clears her throat uncomfortably.

"There's..."

"A slim chance of falling in love. I'll give you that hope," her mother offers. "And if you don't love her, or make any friends, which I doubt because you've made friends wherever you go, you'll wind up with a child or children eventually, and they will be very easy to love."

Ty Lee hesitates. "You're from Caldera?"

"Yes. You know that." Mother makes a small, uncomfortable noise. "It's why I was allowed to even come here, and be able to choose the best future for you. The protectorates are no place to be right now. You should just be thinking about your wife, and your wedding dress and your _children_."

"And how will I wind up with... those children?"

"Presumably by a male of her family. You've seen these before. Don't be blind to it," mother says and Ty Lee frowns at that. She is already disturbed enough by the idea of sleeping with Azula, much less winding up with her brother or father or someone...

That prompts Ty Lee to have the thought, "Why does she know that she can't have children when she's never been married and she's sixteen?" Ty Lee inquires and her mother furrows her brow in thought. "I'm sure it's rude to ask, but I'm curious."

"I never heard of it, but I'm sure there are tests or other things before making any high level marital negotiations. Or maybe there was some kind of evident event or illness or infection when she was younger. Don't prod at that, or anything else that seems odd," her mother demands and Ty Lee does admit she has a point.

There is, Ty Lee knows, a slim chance of this working out.

And she does know she will have friends. Maybe Azula can be her friend.

Hopefully, at least.


	2. Culture Shock

**Chapter Two:** Culture Shock

* * *

Despite Ty Lee's lack of sleep, after tossing and turning until daybreak, she does manage to put herself together and look nice.

She is good at looking good, and good at being around others. Her nature as a social butterfly-moth _has _to earn her at least a few points. It is definite that she will make a good impression on other people at the party, and so she makes sure she looks her absolute best.

Ty Lee wooed soldiers and made out with rebels; she made friends in circuses, grocery stores and stuffy political events. Friends are important. They are more important than your blood, mother constantly reminded her.

And, father added, it was better to die than to betray your friends.

Ty Lee's signature braid is done in a much more intricate and adult style than usual, and she wears her most stunning clothes that look fantastic with her skin and eyes. But when she walks to the party, her mother at her side, she does look very out of place.

Perhaps Colony Kingdom style is quite different from Caldera's. All the same, Ty Lee bucks up, looks confident, and knows that her unique look will make her even more appealing to those around her. She does not look like she just fell out of a wheelbarrow or anything.

Ty Lee is about to step into the party with her mother when she is pulled aside and taken by guards through a door that Ty Lee did not even notice upon entrance. Her mother is separated from her, and she clenches her fists in preparation to fight her way out, until she is gently escorted into a room holding two girls her age.

The Heir Apparent of the Fire Nation, and the Fire Lady beside her. Ty Lee looks around quickly. The room smells of uniformly scented candles and those perfumes and wines of fancy parties, not unlike the ones Ty Lee had at home. However, these candles smell slightly different, and the sound of loud conversation and laughter outside is different as well.

She has a natural curiosity about her, and always has. It got her into many nasty situations, but she still regarded it as a favorable aspect of her personality. Now, she does not think her curiosity will do her any favors.

Ty Lee quickly bows to them both, and then hesitantly walks forward.

"Nice to meet you," says the Fire Lady, although she does not sound that happy to meet Ty Lee at all. Her expression and tone are, at best, less than expressive. "I hope you last."

"W-what?" Ty Lee squints at her and Azula quickly stands, trying to cover up what Mai has said.

"Would you like to go to the party?" Azula offers, shooting a glare at the pallid and disinterested woman. Gratefully, Ty Lee nods.

Talkative. Ty Lee has always been _too _talkative. It was the bane of her parents, boyfriends, teachers, trainers and friends for years. But something about Azula just ties her tongue into knots.

"I love parties," Ty Lee says and Azula takes that to mean that Ty Lee assents.

"They're not my thing, particularly, but I've been to my fair share." Azula takes Ty Lee's hand and Ty Lee fights the urge to squeeze.

_Don't come on too strong, don't come on too strong..._

They walk out into the ballroom and Ty Lee is struck by the true gravity of Caldera, and royalty, and how different everything is. Not to mention how much _bigger _it is than the world she grew up in. She thinks the culture shock is probably strong enough to kill a lesser woman, but Ty Lee is cute, sweet and _strong_. She clings to Azula more tightly and the princess quite likes that.

"They won't pay you any mind," Azula purrs with a dismissive wave of her clawed hand, and Ty Lee looks confused. "This isn't a celebration of our engagement. It is one of several supervised outings of ours, and also, I'm certain some kind of test of your manners and ability to project a good image of the royal family."

Ty Lee's lips part in surprise for a moment before she composes herself. She thinks it might be a good sign that Azula is giving her tips, but, on the other hand, she and the Monster of the West are far from acquainted. Ty Lee also cannot help but wonder if the hatred instilled in her by her family and friends can show, even when she smiles and is on everybody's side.

"You haven't decided about me yet, then?" Ty Lee asks excitedly as they make their way to a shadowy corner. Why Azula imagines this to be a good place is yet another thing Ty Lee does not understand, but she allows it, of course.

"I like you a good deal. My father is getting impatient anyway," Azula says as her hands quickly slide to Ty Lee's waist. At first Ty Lee panics, but then she realizes that Azula is just intending to dance with her.

"Well, I love being a last resort," Ty Lee says warmly as she leans in closer to the princess. "It's a very reliable type of thing to be."

To Ty Lee's relief, the princess laughs and continues the small dance that could be done on the tip of a pen.

Ty Lee does well, she thinks, at interacting with the variety of nobles. Despite her love for running, climbing, spinning and joining the circus, Ty Lee did once have an enormous amount of training in being polite and pretty.

She and Azula escape to a balcony as the night wears on and they are both sweaty, and Ty Lee is exhausted.

"Having fun?" Azula asks and Ty Lee just shrugs. The princess seems to almost laugh, but just smirks instead. "I know it's awful. These things always are so stifling."

She removes her sleeves, which were shimmering silk, and she seems to expect Ty Lee to have a reaction to it. Azula is then, at that moment, certain that the woman she wants to marry is a woman who is uninterested in women. How marvelous.

"The stars look great," Ty Lee says and Azula would like to read it as her hiding being aroused, but she seems to just be diverting the sexual attention Azula is attempting to receive.

But that will not do.

"So," Azula breathes, although she is not intending on continuing her sentence. She is solely focused on watching her charm radiate and just be soaked up by the trembling yet unafraid girl in front of her. Azula steps closer, and Ty Lee is unsure what to do.

The princess moves in for a kiss, and Ty Lee does meet her lips. Ty Lee _does _want to kiss her, however, it has little to do with the hot desire or love behind most of Ty Lee's kisses she has given to various boys. It has _everything _to do, with just wondering how it will feel, and if it will maybe make this arranged marriage less intimidating.

They both are satisfied, yet not moved by it. It was not meaningless, but it certainly did not mean much nor did it hit them with bolts of love lightning. But Ty Lee certainly did not dislike it, and neither did Azula.

Here's to hoping.

(Futilely hoping, that is.)

[X]

It isn't like the romance scrolls, legends and books Ty Lee reads. They are, in fact, the only things she reads and she has grown to truly like their formula. And she figured that they would give her a fairly good idea of what being engaged is like. But maybe the reason she liked them was because they were predictable.

She always did read the ending first. And there is no way to tell how any of this courting of Princess Azula will end.

According to the favorable events of the party, Ty Lee is to be married in a royal wedding in six months; she is going to be a princess. Azula told her father she wanted it, even if the kiss was so hollow. The terms of the engagement are already being set up by Ty Lee's mother and Fire Lord Ozai.

This kind of thing is supposed to feel exciting, thrilling and enchanting. But Ty Lee feels only strangely hollow, covering up her sadness about her forced future with smiles and gracious acceptance of the offer for her to spend the day with Azula.

Ty Lee is to meet her fiancee after her training, and then she, Azula, and her future mother-in-law will go explore Caldera. Even if seeing Azula is daunting, Ty Lee is excited to see more of the city. It does fascinate her from the windows of her hotel.

She often has been gently pushing open the smooth curtains of palanquins to get better looks at the city before her mother yanks her back and chastises her.

Ty Lee arrives a bit early, and hopes that will not be a problem. The man at the door says that it will not be, and so Ty Lee hopes that it will not be. She walks into the beautiful courtyard and finds Azula training.

It is amazing to watch, Ty Lee has to admit. The way her body moves, the bright blue fire erupting from her fingers, and feet and twice her mouth. Her golden eyes are utterly enraptured, and it is as if Azula has transcended to some other plane of existence as she bends.

Her aura really is as beautiful as Ty Lee thought last night at the party. She does not think she was not just hopeful and tipsy. Azula is also physically stunning, certainly, even if it is most definitely not Ty Lee's cup of tea.

Azula finishes and inhales, and when she breathes, it looks like the entire world is breathing with her.

_Monster of the West? _Hm. Ty Lee is not so sure. She is, up close, not the beast people whisper rumors about. She just looks like a very beautiful and precise adolescent female.

"Oh, you're here already," Azula says and Ty Lee jumps in surprise. The smirk on the princess's face again makes Ty Lee blush. Ty Lee's ease with social situations is just nixed by Azula and her... her, well, _everything_.

"Yeah. Is Fire Lady Mai around too?" Ty Lee genuinely hopes she has not just done something very taboo. Her mother was raised in Caldera and thought it was fine, but it has been a long time since then, and Ty Lee is unsure of all of the rules here.

"Somewhere, lurking, probably." Azula shrugs and takes Ty Lee by the hand. The contact is sweaty, yet cold and clammy, and Ty Lee would find it gross if she were not so focused on making a good impression.

Azula may have agreed to the proposed contract, but that does not mean she or her father could not change their minds.

As soon as the princess notices Ty Lee, Azula walks to her, her skin glistening with sweat from both the heat of her flames and the motions that almost looked impossible to a celebrated contortionist. She sits down beside Ty Lee, quite uncomfortably close. Ty Lee does not know if she is going to kiss her or electrocute her, and it is unnerving as the princess's face is unreadable.

Ty Lee sits down calmly as Azula situates herself beside her. They should attempt to be comfortable, of course, attempt to be comfortable with each other. Ty Lee is going to do this and she is going to do it _right_.

Azula takes a moment to think of an appropriate conversation, and at last thinks of a starter.

"Tell me about your life before now. And that hill of yours that you never climbed up again," Azula purrs with her eyes fixated on Ty Lee's, walking her fingers up Ty Lee's leg. This is too confusing for the admittedly unintelligent princess-to-be. "Maybe that circus you've told me about?"

She sounds genuinely... _interested_. To Azula, it is as much of a facade as anything in her family. But she is going to be good at this, because she is good at everything she does. Ty Lee has no idea how things are in the family that will soon be hers, and Azula doubts that the sugary sweet naive girl will _want _to know about it.

But Azula knows how charming she is, and how Ty Lee is likely already in love with her.

"It's cold," is all Ty Lee says. Azula makes a strange face. "And kind of depressing. I lived in _literally _the most _grey _disgusting one ever. Just endless mines and dried up mining towns and... I didn't like it. It's nicer here."

"And your hill?" Azula continues, a small smirk on her face that Ty Lee cannot quite read. "Why did you never climb it again?"

Ty Lee shrugs. "I guess I just grew out of it."

"Well, that's not a very interesting end to the story," Azula muses and Ty Lee breathes a small sigh.

"Okay, then, hm, I guess a rampaging badger-mole knocked it over and destroyed the surrounding village," Ty Lee suggests, and, while Azula does not laugh, Ty Lee thinks that her reaction is positive.

"Mai lived in the Colony Kingdom for a brief while," Azula replies disinterestedly, examining her sharp fingernails. Ty Lee is rather intimidated by them; she never did catch on to the rich people manicure. It makes her line of work nearly impossible. "Actually, she was born in the Omashu Protectorate, but when she joined the army, she was so good she moved to Caldera, and served under me for some time."

_Under me _sounds so sexual to Azula, but Ty Lee does not seem to pick up on it.

"The Omashu Protectorate was much nicer than mine," Ty Lee remarks casually and Azula shrugs. "I guess because my family was never exactly going to get awarded the nicest protectorate to rule."

Azula cocks an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

Ty Lee thinks she has talked herself into a very hazardous pit. Azula continues to await her answer as Ty Lee swallows and squirms and tries not to panic.

"B-because, well, in the One Hundred Year War," Ty Lee admits, clearing her throat. "My grandfather surrendered to the Earth Kingdom and wound up losing Gaoling. It just kind of stuck, even after my dad married my mother. It's her protectorate, actually. Her family was really well liked, and her great-grandfather was personally very close to Fire Lord Sozin. Still, I don't think they'll really live it down..."

"That was a long time ago. And I imagine once you marry the woman who conquered Gaoling, well, no one will think of your stained honor ever again," Azula says with a soft shrug, twisting one of her bangs around her finger. Ty Lee is captivated with the motion. The way she breathes. The royals are _different _to a girl with six siblings who lived in a tent in the dirt for four years. All of this is _alien _and to be honest, she cannot bear thinking of the moment her mother and father leave, and she is left alone in the Caldera, with only the princess.

"Can I ask something more personal?" Ty Lee says, knowing yet again that her curiosity has definitely gotten the better of her. She knows she has yet to answer Azula's questions about the circus, but hopefully there will be plenty of time for that later.

"It can't hurt," Azula replies, although it most certainly _can _hurt.

"Did Mai also have an arranged marriage?"

"Not originally. I had her first, but marriage wasn't on the horizon. But he snatched her up somehow," Azula says, still examining her nails. "I don't think she minds being married to my father. Would you mind being married to me?"

"I _want _to be married to you," Ty Lee says, a little too quickly.

"That's good." Azula pauses at those words, gauging Ty Lee's reaction. Princess Azula is glad she likes this one, because after every girl she has turned down, her father has been livid, and Azula has had to shout _good luck living forever _and maybe cry. "I'm sure that Mai's family cajoled, threatened and coerced their way into getting their daughter into the royal family. I really am not so clear on how it happened but it was certainly sketchy. But if I would call anyone a friend, it would be her," Azula says, and during the brief silence, the princess decides to lean in and kiss Ty Lee's neck.

Ty Lee's shoulders shoot up, her cheeks burn, and she takes a deep breath.

"Sorry," she murmurs as she looks at Azula's rather dissatisfied expression. This is strange and frightening and Ty Lee just wants to run back to her mother's hotel and cry. She _wants _this but _doesn't _and she is so confused.

"Don't be," Azula says at last, but Ty Lee does not think she actually means it.

The princess glances around, wondering where their entourage even is. They are supposed to leave for the stupid day out at any moment now, yet, the cold garden is currently home to only two inhabitants.

And so, cautiously, Azula slides down Ty Lee's short sleeves with ease, gradually exposing peachy skin. She is _tan _for being a noble, and it is intriguing to Azula momentarily. She never really has looked at this girl, unless you count a very fantasized dream and one cold night on a balcony. Ty Lee swallows, confused by the motions as Azula slips onto her lap. It is not the delicate motions Ty Lee is used to in her previous sexual encounters ─ of which there were few ─ but dominating and entrancing at the same time.

Ty Lee's heart jumps into her throat as she panics, quickly pulling away. Azula slides back from her lap, thankfully not hitting the ground or winding up in a worse sitaution.

"Did you...?" Azula asks, sounding concerned. Ty Lee is about to have a heart attack as she sidles away from her. "Did you not want that?"

"I don't, I don't know," Ty Lee stammers, and, thankfully, the moment is interrupted by the guards and the Fire Lady entering and preparing the princess and her fiancee for their day out.

Azula is still confused, but she tries not to show it as she stands and offers Ty Lee her hand to help her up.

Ty Lee feels like she might throw up all over her shoes.

[X]

The day becomes much warmer beneath the famed Fire Nation sun as Mai, Azula and Ty Lee are in the sunny markets in the wealthier side of Caldera.

"I think it's both adorable and sickening how charmed she is by the city," Mai sighs as she watches Ty Lee have a very animated conversation about melons with a shop vendor.

"You've lived the Colony Kingdoms and not just military bases before destroying Earth Kingdom cities," Azula remarks, the idea suddenly striking her. "Is it really that... behind the times? I mean, yes, the cities were all just barricades in hopes of surviving, but the Fire Nation had to have given innovation to our provinces."

"Well, it _was_ once the Earth Kingdom. And probably always will be, deep down." Mai shrugs. "I don't think the culture shock is going to treat her well."

"Probably not." Azula stares even longer at Ty Lee. "I think she might not like girls."

"Not all women do, surprisingly. I mean, of course, you're everyone's exception," Mai says, cavalierly rolling her eyes.

"Don't joke." Azula passes Mai with surprising emotion for what Mai imagined would just be mockery of this candidate for Azula's hand.

Azula joins Ty Lee and Mai pities them both.

[X]

Mai is attempting to be alone when there is a vicious pounding on the door of her private rooms. She pulls a robe over her half naked self and goes to open the door, only to find Ty Lee in front of her.

"Hi." Ty Lee stands mute for a moment before Mai steps back to allow her inside.

This is an unwelcome visit, and Mai tries her best to make that clear, but it is reasonably futile. She has just been listening to the most boring conversation in the history of time about another mining town being deserted to the west and if they should increase yata, yata, boring, so boring, Mai wishes her husband had something else to show off while talking.

Like a... an exotic bird? She doesn't know.

"I... uh, I want to ask about... um... marriages," Ty Lee says weakly, rubbing her neck and trying to look cute. She _is _cute, though, she is aware.

"So, you want to know about a _royal _arranged marriage, you mean?" Mai cocks an eyebrow and Ty Lee nods twice. "Well, it's not that bad, actually. As you can see, I want for nothing, we sleep in separate rooms and... No; I'm misunderstanding your question, aren't you? ... _so you want to know about sex with Azula_?"

Ty Lee just nods again, in the exact same manner.

"I'm curious; I─"

"No, don't justify yourself. You don't have to; it's the first thing I'd be asking," Mai says and Ty Lee examines her. She has a very grey aura, but Ty Lee thinks she _does _have a heart somewhere in her, even if it is blackened and far from in tune with the Universe. "I am sleeping with her, after all."

"But you were, uh, into that kind of thing?" Ty Lee asks feebly as she tries to find someplace to sit. Eventually, she settles on a chair beneath the window, although it has a very fine layer of dust.

_Agni, Azula was actually right, _is all Mai can think in response to that.

"She won't push you."

"I _have to_ at some point though."

"That might be a long ways away."

"But..." Ty Lee is quiet and Mai attempts to strike up conversation to ease her a little bit.

Mai is heartless, but not _that _heartless.

[X]

"What are you reading?" Azula asks sweetly, in her most artificial of tones.

Mai looks up, craning her neck to see Azula walking into Mai's own private rooms. She pretends she absolutely owns the place, and it is not cute.

"A book," Mai replies flatly and Azula rolls her gilded eyes. Mai has only just shaken off Ty Lee and gotten her to run along and go wherever girls like her go, and here comes Azula.

"Is it good?" Azula continues, still in a nauseatingly sugary falsetto.

"If you want to get laid, just _say _you want to get laid," Mai says lazily, closing the book with a small clicking sound. "Don't pretend to be interested in me or my _book_. Just say, _I want to do adulterous things with you, Mai_."

Azula crosses her arms like a child. "You have no right to speak to me that way."

"Somebody has to, princess," Mai remarks with a languid shrug. "That's what friends are for. Or stepmothers are for probably."

With a small pause, possibly in attempt to retain her dignity, Azula takes a breath. And then says, "My bedroom, five minutes," and is quickly gone.

A flicker of an amused smile briefly crosses Mai's face before she slowly stands up and waits for the princess to round the corner. Azula is unable to resist checking over her shoulder and Mai rolls her eyes in response.

As soon as Mai walks into Azula's room, she sees the princess waiting on her bed. She is not undressed, or even half-dressed, and she wears a mildly troubled expression. Fire Lady Mai does not think she has ever seen Azula look so... concerned.

She has a variety of candles lit, but Mai is well aware it is not intended for _mood lighting_. The more Azula has around her, the more she is trying to control her obsessive and often spiraling thoughts. This family is loaded with crazies, but Mai must admit Azula probably takes the cake in that aspect, even more than her father or brother, or, well, even Mai.

But none of the flickering and sputtering flames on the red wax candles are blue, which is a good sign.

"I tried to do things with Ty Lee today," Azula says as calmly as she can and Mai quickly shuts the door. It is a very rare occasion on which Azula talks about her problems or feelings, and Mai doubts she wants anyone to overhear her sounding like a human.

"Sex things?" Mai sits down across from Azula, her hand resting between her slightly parted thighs.

"Yes," Azula says. "She didn't want to."

"Did you make her?" Mai asks without inflection, trying not to sound chiding or disturbed.

"_Of course not_. Agni, what kind of person do you think I am?" Azula snaps, instantly bristling.

"The kind of person whose nickname is The Monster of the West," Mai suggests before internally admitting that she believes Azula. The princess may be many terrible things, but she is certainly not a rapist.

"She talked to you, didn't she?" Azula says softly and Mai thinks that perhaps Azula actually _didn't _just want to do dirty, adulterous things with her.

"Yeah."

"What did she say?" Azula inquires, her eyes flickering up and down Mai, searching for a tell. Mai lacks one, in most situations. Occasionally Azula can figure her out, but perhaps Azula enjoys her presence because of how difficult she is to read.

"She was just asking about my marriage," Mai says and Azula shakes her head. "What? You're not incredibly interested in my sex life? How surprising."

"Ick," Azula says before studying her feet in silence. "Now... about those adulterous things..."

Mai stands and confidently saunters to Azula's bed, taking the princess by the waist. They kiss, lips touching. Mai's are always surprisingly warm, though she radiates an ice that is almost as bitter as Azula's glacial heat. Arousal overcomes them both as Azula is backed against a wall, decides she dislikes the position, and she pushes Mai onto the bed. Oddly carefully. Oddly tenderly.

She is on top of her, Mai lying there with no expression. It can be... frustrating. But the overachieving Azula likes a challenge.

"So," Azula breathes, her warm breath tickling Mai's exposed flesh, "did you tell her about how you were in love with my brother before you were handed away?"

"Why are you so obsessed with that? I really don't care," Mai says as she starts forcefully undoing the remainder of Azula's clothes. "And, yes, I did tell her. My dad sold me away at eight years old for political gains, and I think that you are just jealous of the fact that I'm not sobbing in misery over my relationship with your father. Which is," and Mai presses Azula down beneath her, "creepy and kind of incestuous."

Azula breaks free of how Mai has pinned her down with a single, disproportionately angry move.

"I'm not _jealous_. I'm perfect. I have the _perfect _life and I _do _not, get jealous." The room is suddenly blue as the candles Azula lit surge. She shoves Mai down, scratching her. And _so this will go._

"I know you do," Mai says, because it is easier than arguing. She may be the only one to speak up to Azula, but there are certain boundaries she doesn't cross. Certain times that agreeing with her is easier than dissenting.

Azula kisses her again, forcefully this time, claiming her mouth pointedly.

[X]

_Azula and Mai lie in bed, at the age of fourteen. In one week, Mai will be marrying Azula's father, and both are disturbed by it. The tension between the two of them is palpable, as Azula has lashed out virulently for days now, and Mai has sighed and taken it, because she understands that Azula will always be possessive and jealous._

_And that Azula hates her mother. And that Azula has a variety of complexes. And that their friendship will remain solid despite the circumstances._

_"I have no idea how to consummate my marriage," Mai states softly, wrapping the blankets tighter around herself as if it will protect her from Azula's response. "Do you know?"_

_Azula shrugs. "Most people know."_

_"I shouldn't ask this about your... I mean he conceived you... that's creepy. I just, um... Do you have any idea?" Mai asks hesitantly and Azula senses emotion in her tone. She supposes the socially appropriate thing to do is to help her friend._

_"I could show you," Azula says, although she will not reveal her sources. She slips on top of Mai, and Mai is startled at first, but she does not show it. "You have to at least _try _to be expressive."_

_"What makes you the expert on this, princess? Unless you count that au pair your father had executed. And she was..." Mai is silenced from one look. She knows there are lines she should not cross._

_"Just look at him, and hold his hips like that, and..." Azula starts but she is cut off by Mai's lips against hers._

_Instead of practicing for the Fire Lord, they discover each other._

[X]

A day later, there will be another pompous royal affair, this one more significant. It is an actual engagement party, and Ty Lee has spent most of the day under the thumb of royal stylists. Now she is alone in Azula's room, and is contemplating initiating some form of physical contact.

She is certain that once she overcomes the anxiety, it will be good. Perhaps so good that Ty Lee will no longer dread the day when her mother leaves and she is left to this family.

"Can I wear this, princess?" Ty Lee asks, currently submerged in Azula's closet. Azula leans over from the vanity, with flaming eyeliner pinched between two fingers.

"I don't care. Wear what you like," Azula replies uninterestedly before returning to preening herself in the mirror.

Ty Lee takes a deep breath. She pulls on the red dress, finds it nearly see-through, and walks to Azula, She stands behind her, examining herself and her fiancée in the mirror. They both look beautiful tonight, and their appearance will, of course, be well received.

Azula _is _beautiful. Ty Lee does not know why she keeps reminding herself that, but she supposes it is her feeble attempts to trick her brain into wanting to bed the woman in front of her. While Ty Lee can appreciate female beauty, she does not think she wants to put her mouth all over it.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Azula asks, and if Ty Lee did not know any better, she would think that perhaps Azula is nervous too.

"Just, uh," Ty Lee trails off and slowly moves to kiss Azula's neck, how Azula kissed her that morning in the courtyard. It still feels a little sick, but she does it anyway. Azula's shoulders don't shoot up in fright like Ty Lee's tend to; the princess leans into it. Maybe it feels nice; Ty Lee cannot tell. Ty Lee is hesitant, but she knows that this must be done, and she is relatively terrified of it.

Azula pushes Ty Lee away when she realizes that her trembling is not from excitement or pleasure. "Why are you so scared?" Azula asks as Ty Lee kisses her cheek and attempts to avoid the discomfort. It was timid and cold. "It wouldn't be in my interest to harm you."

Ty Lee does not know what to say. "I'm not scared."

"I'm pretty good at telling when people are lying." Azula turns around in her chair, legs wrapped around the back. It presses against her abdomen as she faces her fiancée. "And you're not a very good liar. You'll have to get better at that once you live here."

"Maybe you can teach me," Ty Lee whispers, feeling naked in the gaze of Princess Azula. Azula laughs, high, cold, fake. Makes people feel foolish, as if her time has been wasted, or she is merely patronizing those beneath her. "Maybe you can teach me a lot of things."

If it weren't for her chirping, sickeningly sweet tone, it would be seductive. Azula stands up, freeing herself of the chair, and sits down on the bed. Ty Lee has noticed that no matter where she is sitting, it looks as if she is on a throne. Born to lead the Fire Nation, certainly. And knows she is far above her colony trash bride-to-be.

"Stand on one foot," Azula says abruptly and Ty Lee is baffled. She looks at Azula with her lips slightly ajar. "Go on, stand on one foot."

"I don't know what you mean, Princess Azula," Ty Lee stammers, tilting her head to the side.

"I _mean _stand on one foot," Azula sighs haughtily, turning one palm up. If it weren't for glittering golden eyes, Ty Lee would think she was bored.

Ty Lee stands on one foot. It is easy for her, of course.

"Okay, stand on one hand," Azula continues and Ty Lee swallows. Perhaps teenage girls should not be given so much power. But she flips over fluidly and balances on one hand. Azula smirks and Ty Lee falls.

"I don't usually trip like that." Ty Lee's face is as red as the borrowed dress she wears. Azula's lips curl further, almost to the point of paining her.

"Now walk to me," Azula says and Ty Lee continues, baffled by this game. "Kiss me."

Ty Lee complies. She slips onto Azula's lap, unsure if the princess will like it. It makes her heart flutter in ways that doing contortionist acts suspended fifty feet above the ground did not. The physicality of it is pleasurable, the mental and emotional implications are painful. Azula is lost in it, testing her limits, more preoccupied with trying to figure out father's motivations than the confused desires of her fiancée.

They meet eyes briefly and Azula doesn't look away. The gaze is ended with their lips pressing together as they fall back onto the bed. The arousal of stripping off Azula's only recently shimmied-into clothes is throbbing, hot and damp. And the acrobat uses her flexibility to her advantage, seizing control for the first time, and making Azula's toes curl.  
Azula pushes her down, holding her in place. Sweat drips from her hair, the perfect up-do now ruined. She lets her hands explore the still novel body, and grabs her sash from her dress, now discarded and hanging off of the side of the plush ruby bed.

Ty Lee is momentarily concerned as Azula slips it around her wrists, but she does not move. She only breathes, Azula noticing the heave of her chest more than she would like to. Bound loosely, Ty Lee is still as Azula strips off her clothes, both of them now entirely bare and exposed.

Her lips touch Ty Lee's navel. She swirls her tongue around, slides it down. And then pulls away. Ty Lee is blushing, hot, wet and confused as Azula starts to reconstruct herperfect outfit. Ty Lee is tied up and painfully aroused, as well as more confused than she was when Azula made her stand on one foot.

Azula does pull away, feeling a knot of shame in her stomach that she pushed this further than she intended to.

"Now," Azula whispers in Ty Lee's ear, "tell me if you're afraid."

Ty Lee closes her eyes. "Yes. I am."

Azula sits up, pulling herself away and ignoring the lingering, angry arousal.

"We have a wedding night. I... It was regrettable, what I attempted in the courtyard and I will not repeat it." Azula hesitates. "Promise not to lie to me again, my love."  
The _my love _is quite cold, and Ty Lee does not know what to make of it.

"I promise," Ty Lee says earnestly and Azula must admit she finds the honesty refreshing.

"Good." Azula makes no such promise in response.


	3. Unless He Chose to Stop Breathing

**Chapter Three:** Unless He Chose to Stop Breathing

* * *

"Walking is for peasants," Azula says smoothly yet forcefully, as Ty Lee stares at the palanquin in confusion. She has seen carriages that are much nicer for people in the Colony Kingdom, but this would be awfully impractical to enforce there, with so much _space _between everything, and all of the loose rocks.

_Don't tell me what to do_, Ty Lee thinks before biting her tongue. It feels foolish that she is punishing herself for having a stray thought, but the truth of the matter is that she knows better than to speak out against Azula.

Azula finds the way she is so baffled by everything endearing. Her innocence is appealing to Princess Azula in a way that the sexual desire is over shadowed by the mild envy of being so _naive_. Azula wants to own that.

And, as Azula loves, Ty Lee obeys. She takes Azula's hand, feeling the smooth, ivory skin against calloused tan hands. It makes Ty Lee mildly uncomfortable to feel the difference between the two of them. Even if Ty Lee's family reigned over their protectorate, and even if Ty Lee will be a Fire Lady one day, there will always be the demanded subservience.

They will give her everything, and she will pay with her soul and freedom. That was why Ty Lee never liked the idea of being married off.

There are many things Ty Lee wants to say to the people in Caldera. About the treatment of the people in the Colony Kingdom. About taxes for things that they will never see, about the strict rules, the poverty stricken streets, the rampant abuse of power, the floggings, executions. About the people she saw burned alive.

It made no sense to Ty Lee when she was there. It makes less sense to her now that she is here. But Ty Lee quickly shoves any of those old thoughts into the back of her mind, as she has been practicing. She is going to let herself be a sweet, shallow girl who just wants to be happy.

Which Ty Lee was for most of her life. Which Ty Lee was until the day she was no longer able to run up that hill to look at the stars.

She is wearing Azula's dress, but as she steps out and looks at the party ahead of her, she still feels very out of place. This is not where she belongs, and it never will be. She _looks _Colony Kingdom, no matter how beautiful she is, or how many of Azula's clothes she borrows.

Azula takes her hand and Ty Lee contemplates the meaning of the gesture as they walk through seas of people in stunning colors and beautiful outfits, all with similar skin, similar beauty. In the Colony Kingdom, practicality and natural looks were the norm. Clothing had roots in the way the Earth Kingdom once dressed, and Ty Lee was used to feeling plain, or having dirt under her fingernails.

The engagement party is not held at the palace, but at a building with elaborate architecture that Ty Lee is not used to. Was her life really so void of beauty before? The sudden discomfort in her stomach make her wonder if she is void of beauty as well. In the Colony Kingdom, she thought lush forests, old paint, bright stars and her looks were stunning.

But this place is utterly otherworldly in its glamour.

Her kingdom was built mostly of steel as an affront to earthbenders, who still do stir up trouble now and then. But here in the homeland, the buildings are coated with gold and red, beautiful stone sculptures and strong columns. There are statues that depict scenes from mythology that Ty Lee knows only fragments of. Even the downtrodden apartments Ty Lee peeked at on her way were beautiful.

And Azula is beautiful too. Therefore, Ty Lee does not know why she is feeling so much sorrow over what should be a gift. She is _fortunate _to be ornately decorated with expensive things, walking into a ballroom dedicated to her, after being betrothed to an intoxicating and enigmatic princess. But she feels knots in her stomach and has the sensation that this is _wrong_. And there is no one to ask about it.

"This is going to be incredibly awkward," Azula whispers into Ty Lee's ear, her hot breath tickling the neck of her companion. Ty Lee swallows and nods feebly, tightening her grip on Azula's hand for some sort of security and entering the room.

They are not directly greeted, and Ty Lee finds that strange. Azula takes her to a room away from the actual party, yet again. Ty Lee wonders if they ever even interact with people outside of their inner circle. And the inner circle is inside. A man smiles at Ty Lee and Azula.

He has the same stylish and impeccably groomed facial hair of every nobleman Ty Lee has encountered. His outfit is finely tuned and expensive. Dressed in red, his skin pale yet a tad ruddy at the cheeks, and his body round.

"I'm very excited for this wedding, as is the entire populace. It is a welcome show of good faith amongst the tension, of course. And seeing the Fire Nation's sweetheart be wed is, just lovely," h says very quickly and Ty Lee is stunned by his _bluntness_. So far, everyone has skirted around the political nature of the marriage. Even Ty Lee, Azula and their respective parents. "You two look lovely, of course. And look lovely together."

He shakes Azula's hand, the one that is not occupied by Ty Lee's very tight squeezing.

"Thank you, Councilor Hoang," Azula says and he gives her a curt bow. "Ty Lee, this is my father's closest councilor. The rest are over there; you'll meet them eventually."

"And one day I'm sure I will be your closest councilor," Councilman Hoang says with a small, teasing smile.

"You flatter yourself." Azula's lips twitch. Clearly they have a good relationship, and then, suddenly, Ty Lee worries that she will make a bad impression on him, and her hand starts to slip and rub against Azula's with sweat.

"But I would rather be flattering you. And that lovely woman beside you." He smiles and Azula moves to brush past him towards her father and stepmother, but his hand rests gently on the princess's arm. Ty Lee's eyes bulge.

"Ty Lee, love, go eat one of those cupcakes or fix your dress or something," Azula orders and her tone is one Ty Lee would not question if she were suited in armor and defended by a dragon. Azula turns to Councilor Hoang with a severe look in her eyes. "What do you know?"

He cocks an eyebrow and examines his surroundings. The room is loud and filled with people all trying to make impressions on those higher up in the hierarchy than themselves. This is even more private than a shadowy corner at midnight.

"I know that nothing is as it seems with that girl's family," he says and Azula waits patiently for a better explanation. "She seems to be clueless. But her mother is a spider-wasp at best, and her father has spoken out against the Fire Nation's control over the protectorates of late. However, when your dear fiancee and her mother came to Caldera, he stopped speaking out."

"By choice?" Azula inquires softly.

"If by choice you mean he chose to stop breathing," Councilor Hoang replies with a knowing chuckle.

Azula's stomach steels as she wonders if Ty Lee will learn that her father is dead, and lash out or do something stupid. "Is she going to find out about that?"

Thankfully, Councilor Hoang shakes his head. "Doubtful. It would mess with the course of action being taken. Has she spoken to you at all about her paternal grandfather?"

"Yes, the one who surrendered at Gaoling," Azula says, trying to keep her tone calm. "I am not very... aware of the Colony Kingdom, beyond my own military experience. I honestly thought the tensions died down fairly well after Ba Sing Se was taken care of." _By yours truly_.

Councilor Hoang's lip twists into a half-frown. "You are the brightest young person I have ever met, but your interactions have all been very controlled."

"I know," Azula says, genuinely not taking offense. She does get frustrated by how much her father's influence is visible. How she can feel his fingers in her spine at all times. She is often his puppet, and she doubts she will be anything but that until she has the crown on her head.

"She will not be in any danger. I've been fortunate enough to learn that her reproductive negotiations went very well, and she is the first out of very many hopeful young women to make it this far with you. But, well..."

"In my family, things are not always exactly what they seem," Azula finishes so that he does not have to. "Why are you even telling me this?"

"Because I'm going to be your closest councilor when you're Fire Lord." He winks at her. She looks at the other partygoers, fakes a warm, shallow laugh, pats his arm lightly and quickly, and goes to collect Ty Lee.

"What are you doing to that cupcake?" Azula asks, watching Ty Lee gazing intently at the cinnamon cupcake in her hand.

"I'm trying to figure it out," Ty Lee says with a small frown. "I can't get it."

"You can't get it on a... how to put it into your mouth level, or on a spiritual level. Because of you want to _get _the cupcake, you best help it _get _you. Spiritual connection between desserts and humans requires mutual understand, Ty Lee," Azula purrs smoothly and Ty Lee bursts into giggles.

She would likely not be laughing so blithely if she had just learned that father _chose to stop breathing_.

Ty Lee takes a bite. "It wasn't even trying to understand me. It has to die."

Azula does not know what to say to that.

After Ty Lee finishes chewing and forcing a very bracing swallow, she says, "Do you know those little fire gummies that come in the shape of people or animals or whatever the festival is celebrating that year?"

Azula nods.

And Ty Lee says, "Well, I always eat two at once, so they don't have to die alone."

Now Azula laughs, and from across the room, her father and Mai both notice how genuine it is. He does not think he has heard his daughter _truly _laugh in a long, long time. That makes his actions not more troubling, but certainly more difficult to navigate.

He wants Ty Lee; he wants the rest of her kind dead.

"It's just food."

"You must have had an imagination once, Princess Azula. Or at least not an imagination that's just thinking up how to conquer cities," Ty Lee prods, finishing her cupcake and licking spiced frosting from her lips.

There is a little left on her face, and Azula makes direct eye contact with her father when she wets her thumb and rubs it away. Ty Lee interprets it as a surprisingly tender gesture from her soon-to-be wife; Ozai interprets it as his daughter making it clear that this is the one she has chosen. Her final decision.

"Well," Azula says, looking away from the politicians and back at the odd Colony Kingdom circus girl, "I did, when I was a child. But I would line them all up, and then slowly bite off the limbs and heads of one of them, so that they could see their friend die."

Ty Lee is silent for a moment and Azula tries to control her confusing surge of embarrassment, but then Ty Lee bursts into giggles again.

"I wish I had thought of that. Aww. I think I'd feel too bad for them, though. But one time I just completely flooded this hill of termite-ants. There were no survivors. And I used to burn them too, with my dad's magnifying glass for reading. I'd steal it from his office and track down my little termite-ant prey."

"That's a very creative work-around. I could burn whatever I liked," Azula says, and it is always a real compliment when she hears of a unique way a nonbender accomplishes something she thought to be reserved for benders alone. "Let's go out of this room and get some dinner. We should make an appearance to appease the lesser guests."

They both do.

Ty Lee eats the food that tastes wonderful, because she is sure the chefs would be executed if it was not. Azula holds up conversation cleverly with the people around her, and Ty Lee looks like an animal because she just tries to keep her mouth full so she does not have to say anything. She can already tell that a runaway noble who was part of a travelling circus has no place at this event.

After they have dinner and meet so many couples and generals and politicians that the names and faces blend in Ty Lee and Azula's memories both, they spin around a thousand stars in the ballroom. Azula dances like she bends; perfectly light on her feet. Ty Lee spins like an acrobat and they draw attention that brings a blush to Ty Lee's cheeks and a smile to her lips. Azula is amused by it; she likes that Ty Lee is happy, whether that matters or not.

They pause, for a moment, in their dance, catching their breath. Azula can feel the eyes on her; Ty Lee can too.

"You really like attention, huh?" Azula asks mockingly and Ty Lee shrugs.

"I love it," she admits. "I was a matched set of twins and I like to feel special. I like everybody looking at me. At us."

And so, a very showy Azula kisses her gently and the crowd loves it. Her eyes flicker to her father and he is locked in a conversation that has his brow knit, over in the shadows, not basking in the guests. Something is happening, a sensation Azula has felt since her betrothal was announced. She nearly slips and Ty Lee catches her, pulling their bodies together.

Now she should focus on her rather beautiful bride, and not her father's plans. They cannot hurt her; Fire Lord Ozai is too sentimental towards Azula for her to truly need to worry. But it unnerves her still.

Ty Lee and Azula slide away from being the center attention as Mai and Ozai are drawing a crowd, much to Mai's chagrin, and to Azula's gratefulness. It means she will have to keep less of an eye on her father for the time being. Azula and Ty Lee linger together in the shadows, Ty Lee sipping her fourth glass of rice wine and Azula trying to make small talk and failing. She never was very good at it.

"You look beautiful tonight," Ty Lee says as if it matters. Azula does not thank her, and Ty Lee does not find that odd.

"I know. And you are the most beautiful gift I have ever received," Azula says, shrugging cavalierly and coldly.

Ty Lee's stomach squirms; Azula is gorgeous, and she makes Ty Lee laugh and feel _special_. Even when Ty Lee traveled and amazed crowds, she never felt as special as this princess she has known for but a handful of days can. Yet, Azula's cold, calculated and violent aura is not that compatible with the bubbly pink. And her body is not quite compatible with Ty Lee's tastes, as beautiful as it is.

"For someone so calculated, you can be pretty cute. I do like being called a gift," Ty Lee says and Azula shrugs. She takes compliments as if she expects them and Ty Lee dislikes it, but, then again, she spends half her time fishing for them, so perhaps it is better to have that kind of confidence than Ty Lee's insecurity.

Azula turns to Ty Lee quite abruptly and Ty Lee flinches. Motions like that from Princess Azula are general met with terror.

"You were gifted to me," Azula says slowly, leaning in close. "And a gift you are."

Ty Lee thinks it is a compliment, though the words are mildly threatening. She takes a deep breath, murmurs, "Thank you, princess," and vows to herself to stop analyzing Azula so closely.

After they cool in the shadows, they break apart and go separate ways. Ty Lee at first feels as lost as if she is a toddler who has been separated from her mom in the market, but soon two chattering girls take Ty Lee along with them, and she enjoys their conversation. Ty Lee does not have to over think it. Azula stands at the party in her glimmering golden jewelry and tight fitted ruby gown, engaging in conversations of politics that entertain her more than her vapid bride.

Father's advisors break from him, all with grave expressions. Azula calmly continues to converse as she tries to catch the attention of Councilor Hoang. He looks at her and then is gone, which leaves Azula to believe her father has said something to make him silent, after Ozai must have seen them talking before.

She dislikes this very much. Azula knows that her world has been as controlled as a terrarium that her father keeps in. But she still does not like being kept in the dark and told to have fun at her party.

When she looks up, she sees Mai gone from Ty Lee's side, and a boy there instead. Azula walks away from her conversation with over-enthusiastic balding nobles and walks over to the flirtatious scene.

"What are you doing?" Azula demands of the young man and his eyebrows shoot up.

"Just t-talking," he stammers in horror as Ty Lee grimaces with an open mouth.

"Just _talking_. You're flirting with my fiancée," Azula snarls. "I am a jealous, jealous princess. I hope you know that."

"I meant no disrespect," he says, his eyes on Azula's hands. Ty Lee grabs her wrist and holds it, trying to stop her from executing the cute, muscular boy with a bolt of lightning.

"Azula, he doesn't mean anything," Ty Lee says softly, squeezing Princess Azula's hand. She gives Ty Lee a glance that makes her think that it will all work out. Perhaps her princess can be kind. "Please don't hurt him."

"I won't, since you ask," Azula says regally, charmingly. Ty Lee is too afraid to smile. "Well, _I _won't."

And Ty Lee's protuberant eyes flash as two guards spring from the shadows and have him seized.

Ty Lee closes her eyes and hears the sound of flesh being torn. She buries her face in Azula's shoulder as the party is silent save for the continuing music. She feels something hot and wet on her feet, dripping from her high heeled sandals.

It doesn't take much experience in the matter to know that it is blood.

[X]

Ozai is trying to focus on his duties as Fire Lord when Azula walks into his office uninvited. She does not speak as she waits for him to finish drafting whatever legal document he is working on. Tonight, Ozai is moving to call the most important war meeting in a long time. Most of his career as Fire Lord has dealt with protecting the protectorates from shreds of resistance. After his daughter and his forces systematically destroyed the Earth Kingdom during and directly after Sozin's Comet, the Colony Kingdom spread and at last unified.

Now, the work is just maintenance. Or it would be, if he were not going to correct what he considers to be one of Fire Lord Azulon's worst mistakes.

Giving the Colony Kingdoms so much power. He needs to think of ways to remind them where their loyalties should lie.

"How did Ty Lee's father die?" Azula inquires as she strides confidently towards him. "Tell me, father."

Ozai hesitates at that. "By means that don't matter. It perhaps had to do with a choice between cutting out his own tongue and slitting his own throat. He chose the latter."

Azula sits near him and he takes a deep breath before turning to face her.

"Why did you wait until his wife was removed from him to take action? If he was a treasonous man, they would have understood," Azula says softly and Ozai grimaces. "And why would you offer me the daughter of a traitor to marry. I do like her a lot."

"Like her enough to disrupt my party by having an attendee's throat ripped out," Ozai says sharply.

"It recovered quickly once the mess was cleaned up," Azula says sharply. "I was simply displaying the seriousness of my engagement to her. I want to take the rites tomorrow morning at sunrise."

Ozai's eyes flash wide. "Moving quickly, I would say. But if you are decisive, I will not stop you." Pause. "It should give you a nice summer wedding. That's good luck."

Azula eyes him closely, wondering how he can so casually talk about this, _good luck_, and _summer wedding_, and Azula has a stark realization.

"My wedding is a distraction," Azula says and her father gives her the look he would give her when she was a child and she solved puzzles. He made her solve riddles before he would allow her to sit down and eat. "My wedding to a girl from the Colony Kingdom is a distraction while you gut the Colony Kingdom."

"Yes," Ozai says and Azula does not know what to think about it. She has no stake in the Colony Kingdom, but she does strongly dislike being _used_. "People will be focused on your royal wedding, and people will see how happy and beloved the granddaughter of a disgraced soldier and daughter of a traitor is."

Azula looks at her feet. "Did I have that much of a choice in her?"

Ozai shrugs. "You liked her. Does it matter now what my intentions were?"

"The means justify the ends, of course," Azula says hollowly, unsure why this bothers her so much.

"You keep the people focused on what kind of dress you'll wear, and what type of cake you'll have, and rise that one up to be something, and then, well, the rest will be history," Ozai says and Azula inhales slowly.

The Colony Kingdom needed a certain level of sovereignty, Azulon decided, once it was established and started to crawl across the Earth Kingdom map. They all have their own leaders, different _types _of small government at that, but they pay taxes and fight wars for and give to the Fire Nation.

And while Azula does agree that the empire should be more _united_, she does not think that anyone would react well to having their freedom taken away.

_"No one is lucky to lose their free will," Mai says._

It is just a long, endless, nameless story of forcing hands into weddings and battles, fighting for something they do not fully understand.

Azula briefly wonders if there is a such thing as a real act of volition, and then she walks away from her father, bowing and deciding to just let him follow through with his plans.

Is there a such thing as free will? Has there ever been?

Well, Princess Azula, Monster of the West, will probably never know.

[X]

Azula asked for the rites, and she receives them. Ty Lee is still extremely shaken from the party last night when her mother escorts her to the Fire Sage Temple. The acrobat eyes the princess with a nervous gaze. Perhaps tearing out a man's throat was not the best course of action for wooing a woman, Azula belatedly notes.

Ty Lee is already getting dizzy from the strong incense when she walks inside and is surrounded by Fire Sages, eyeing her, sizing her up. She wets her lips nervously as she looks around.

"You will swear your commitment to each other now," says the Head Sage and Ty Lee just nods, Azula twice as silent. "It is a long process, but it mostly involves legal work binding you two and setting the date of your formal union. I will give you two a moment to each other."

Azula nods and Ty Lee walks to her. The acrobat swallows.

But Azula spares her the trouble by saying, "I understand that my actions scared you."

"There was blood all over my shoe," Ty Lee whispers, the memory playing behind her protuberant eyes. "Just _all over it_."

Azula rubs her face and wonders what she is supposed to say. Her eyes meet those of Ty Lee's mother and she wonders if she is aware that her husband _chose to stop breathing_. But she is snapped out of that reverie when she gently takes Ty Lee's trembling hand into her.

"Just stick with me and you won't have blood on your shoes again," Azula says sweetly and Ty Lee does not like how many meanings that phrase can have.

They stand and walk to the Fire Sages. Most of what they say, Ty Lee cannot process due to the sensory invasion of incense, but Azula is listening intently. They speak words, sign documents.

The most poignant is when Azula takes Ty Lee's hand, and the motion behind it seems to be genuine. And she says softly, "I will build empires for you."

Legal documents are signed as more traditional and spiritual words are spoken. It is an odd ritual that Ty Lee is certain none of her sisters went through. But the Colony Kingdom are savages, of course. Savages there, not the savages here who keep the Colony Kingdom in squalor and then pave their streets with gold.

There is a joining of blood. Ty Lee does not even grimace or wince when she runs the blade across her palm, and she wonders if that was a foolish move. She probably should have whimpered or resisted a little bit like the naive girl she is trying to be.

She lets her blood trickle into the glowing red embers. Azula does the same, also without flinching.

Azula notes how calm and brave Ty Lee is during the rites. It feels strange to Azula. She does not think she fully understands her fiancee yet. And everything she sees revolves around how her father is going to use them. Ty Lee seems to have gone through things in the Colony Kingdom that she does not wish to speak about.

There is a genuineness to her positivity and frivolity, _but _Azula thinks that there is a troubled and weary person beneath the surface. Perhaps that is why Azula wants more of her, unlike the other women who were presented to her.

"Tonight is the one night before the wedding that you may," says a Fire Sage whose age makes his words very uncomfortable to Ty Lee, "touch each other. To sample the flesh."

Azula even grimaces at that.

Ty Lee looks at her fiancee anxiously.

[X]

"We don't actually have to do that," Azula says firmly as they are in her private quarters alone. "It's up to you, honestly. I don't care and it doesn't make a difference. Mai didn't."

"Why not?" Ty Lee asks and Azula shrugs.

"Because she didn't want to," Azula replies before sitting close to Ty Lee.

"So, it's a sleepover, then!" Ty Lee says brightly and Azula rolls her eyes.

"Do you want me to give you a make-over?" Azula asks mockingly and Ty Lee grimaces. She wishes she had not suggested that. "Or perhaps we should play with our dolls."

Ty Lee tries to smile and laugh along with her. "Actually," Ty Lee says, "I think I would like a make-over from you."

"I am made up and cared for appearance-wise by a team of dedicated professionals." Pause. "In other words, I have no idea what I'm doing, but we can if you'd like to."

Ty Lee nods eagerly, and Azula does like seeing that enthusiasm. She _does _want to get to know Ty Lee better after all. Even if they are supposed to be _sampling flesh _right now.

Azula rummages around the drawers under her mirror and lays out the proper tools on the surface of the vanity table.

"You really don't look the Caldera type. Even in my dress last night," Azula comments as she clicks open and shut lip paint cases that look like golden seashells. "_But _I think I can make you look the part."

Ty Lee gazes into the mirror, staring at herself. She has always found flaws in her face. Her eyes feel too big, or maybe her nose too round and her nostrils too wide. Her hair so far from the silky smooth she desires. She finds many things in the world beautiful, but not herself.

Azula changes that, however. Even though she curses and orders Ty Lee around and gets frustrated as she tries to execute the make-over, she adds the thick black eyeliner of Caldera, the harsh red lips ─ although, on Ty Lee's lips, they look soft and smooth ─ and she undoes the knots of Ty Lee's braid to let her long hair fall around her body, caressing her form.

They are in silence for some time after Azula finishes and closes up her make-up set.

"Do you not like it?" Azula asks, looking deeply offended.

"I look... beautiful," Ty Lee remarks lightly, still unable to peel her eyes off of her reflection. She just stares in some endearingly naive awe, her mouth agape. Azula did not imagine her work would elicit such a powerful reaction.

"You are, you know," Azula says, genuinely meaning it. She is not one for compliments, or correcting people when they find flaws in themselves. She finds self loathing, self doubt and pity to be very weak characteristics.

But Ty Lee is beautiful even without the Caldera style applied to her. Ty Lee just laughs and Azula's expression sours. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. It's just hard to respond to such a high compliment from a princess."

"I think it would be appropriate to either thank me, compliment me in return, or have sex with me. Or all of the above, actually," Azula replies playfully and Ty Lee is forced to again reassess Azula. Perhaps the Monster of the West is more complex than the portrait painted by mythos and propaganda.

"Thank you." Pause. "_You _are the most beautiful person I have _ever _seen. And also probably the smartest and strongest in the whole world, obviously."

"I know." Azula sits down on her bed and runs her fingertips along the sheets. Ty Lee does not make a move, and Azula has to admit she is relieved by that. The sexual complexities of their relationship or not something the princess wants to explore until they are forced to do so.

"Azula," Ty Lee says softly, "there's something going on that's bad, isn't there?"

"Why do you ask?" Azula inquires coolly.

"Because of the way you keep looking at me. And how you looked at my mom and... You're hiding something, aren't you? I'm an adult and I can handle it." Ty Lee whispers and Azula frowns faintly. Azula can see that Ty Lee actually has _feared _this, and that she predicted there would be something bad going on in secret.

Perhaps she just has that _sense_, as Ty Lee keeps saying about her aura. Or perhaps Azula cannot trust her...

Her father was a traitor, after all. And her mother seems even slimier. Still, confiding in Ty Lee will be a very wise move for Azula.

"Come lie down here," the princess says as she pats on her bed. Ty Lee takes a cautious breath, wondering if she should do so. The answer, she decides, is _yes she absolutely should_.

She lies beside Azula, and Azula beside her, and they are silent for a moment. Ty Lee knows that Azula is still an unknown, still a deity, and that Ty Lee has no right to speak to her about father.

"My father is going to restore the Colony Kingdom to its former glory," Azula says softly, slipping into the tone of a general or princess and not a potential mate. "Those who have been ripping it apart for their own gain must be reprimanded. We cannot have another war like Sozin and Azulon had to deal with. All of that pain... You see, my father invading further, building walls, enforcing one united Fire Nation, is how we will correct our past and safeguard our future."

"The Colony Kingdom belongs to him. You can't invade your own property. The protectorates all give everything they have here." Ty Lee then realizes how treasonous she sounds and bats her eyelashes with a small pout. Azula is eased by that, or perhaps cannot even see where Ty Lee's discontent stems fro.

"He thinks that they're too free and disorganized. I have no reason to attempt to stop him," Azula says quietly and Ty Lee swallows. "Not to mention all of the rebels trying to take what isn't theirs."

She does not have a reason either, but she wants to. _Oh_, she wants to have a reason.

"You can't let this happen," Ty Lee murmurs hopefully as Azula leans closer to her, resting her leg on Ty Lee's. At first the acrobat considers it to be a most unwelcome advance, before she realizes that Azula is making sure this stays private. Ty Lee does not know Azula well at all, but she also does not have another person to talk to about more than the weather. "Azula, tell me what's happening. _Everything _that's happening. Please."

"My father is controlling a spark of discontent that must be contained. We are all reliant on each other, of course, and killing the greedy rulers and salvaging the peace my grandfather intended will unify discord. But that doesn't matter, because it will be _ours_, eventually. It won't matter once you're Fire Lady."

"I don't want to be the ruler of ashes that used to be my friends and family. I _can't_," Ty Lee says loudly and Azula forces her hand over Ty Lee's mouth. It is not violent, or hard, just a restraint that Ty Lee knows she needs because her heart is pounding out of control and she is considering running to the pier and attempting to swim home.

"It is far better to be the ruler of ashes than the servant of a dead cause," Azula says softly and Ty Lee shakes her head. Then shakes her head again. And again. Her lips leave a trace of saliva on Azula's hand, and the princess does pull away.

"Azula, I..." Ty Lee trails off. _Azula, I was doing those traitorous things my father took credit for. Azula, I was the leader of the rebellion that your father is now trying to quell. Azula, I'm starting to think that this marriage might be much more about my treason than your barren womb..._

But maybe the princess already knows. Maybe Ty Lee can't trust her, and that is so terrifying.

"You're very upset about your home being destroyed," Azula says smoothly, ignoring the heat in her body. "I would be as well, if... if that were to happen to me. And I am only forgiving of this because I think you're cute and I have enlisted many soldiers who wanted to fight for their own protectorate instead of the unified empire. But you have to admit you're─"

"Very _fortunate_. I know, princess," Ty Lee says, sitting up. Azula bites down on her lip to keep from doing anything dangerous. "I absolutely am so _lucky _that I'm spared."

"I didn't know about this. You know that, don't you?" Azula says, slipping forward and straddling her. Ty Lee takes a deep breath and lets her do it. She obviously means well. She _must _mean well. "I feel as _used _as you do. In my family, things are not always exactly what they seem."

"I want to go home." She has no home to return to, as soon as Ozai gets his way.

Azula kisses her neck and she fights the urge to shiver. "You're part of my family now. It gets easier to be Pai Sho pieces in other people's games. Particularly when you collect a few pieces of your own."

_Maybe Azula does want to take up the Fire Sage's offer for tonight..._

_It would probably calm Ty Lee..._

Her fingernail runs down Ty Lee's abdomen and Ty Lee is only reminded of katanas slicing those in support of the Colony Kingdom from neck to groin. A slight trail of red is left on her peachy skin, a slight shiver within her, the hardness of nipples and heat of arousal. She is not sure why _that _is so arousing, but the idea of actually... with her... is something Ty Lee is averse to. It makes her body feel like a trait. But her body is also filled with the burning desire for revenge that the optimist has never felt before, even in her work with rebels.

Never revenge. Just justice. Revenge does not mesh well with justice and honor.

But Ty Lee _wants revenge._

Ty Lee does not like this. She does not like this attempt on her body, even if it is Fire Sage mandated, right when she has discovered what is going to happen. What she has _caused_ and what she will now be a perpetrator of.

"But you know what we have to do?" Azula purrs sweetly and Ty Lee swallows. "We have to start making moves of our own."

Their lips meet and Ty Lee closes her eyes. She does enjoy the kiss. She thinks she likes kissing Azula, and that is the only good thing Ty Lee has really managed to think of so far.

"You had that boy's throat ripped out," Ty Lee whispers in the dark of the night. Azula has her eyes open, the pale moonlight reflecting on her golden irises. "For talking to me."

"Of course I did. He was flirting with you," Azula purrs airily, turning on her side. "Are you angry or something?"

Ty Lee hesitates. She purses her lips momentarily as Azula studies her closely.

"So you would kill for me?" Ty Lee inquires and Azula is startled, although she does not show it.

"Yes," Azula responds airily, shrugging. The blankets shift with her motions.

"I just, want to remember that," Ty Lee says softly as she pulls away. "I do like the idea of you building me empires," she says, recalling the rites, "but I'd rather if they weren't built on top of the skeletons of my people."

Azula closes her eyes. "There are things we could do. But not now. Patience is the most important quality of a good leader."

Ty Lee is certain Azula is not on her side.

And Ty Lee is contemplating the concept that, perhaps, _no one is on her side._


	4. The Best Way to Control People

**Chapter Four:** Fear is the Best Way to Control People

* * *

Ty Lee is surprised to discover how much she likes dates with Azula.

It is mostly because Azula is far more subtle about the fact that she is interviewing Ty Lee, and that they are doing fun things instead of sitting in war rooms discussing Ty Lee's reproductive system. Azula is fun, and hilarious, and scathing and Ty Lee enjoys her company most of the time.

While Ty Lee has never been on good terms with the Fire Nation, and the fact that being rushed to Caldera for protection and then instantly being told she is going to marry the royals, particularly the Monster of the West, was not easy.

But the dating that isn't just boys nodding and smiling with hopes of getting her into bed or… a tack room, is pleasant.

If she had to choose, she prefers the ones in the palace, because being in the public eye is strangely uncomfortable. It is for the first time, and probably just has to do with the complex shame that she does not want to address. Ty Lee enjoys attention, but the type of attention makes her skin crawl inexplicably.

And she has been doing tricks that could break her neck just for a few eyes on her since she was a child.

It is odd.

Currently, she and Azula are playing 'Would You Rather' because childhood games are the best way to get to know your spouse. Or perhaps it is because she and Azula are still children, essentially. Adult enough to have military history and reproductive contracts, but young enough to know they are being robbed of innocence.

They are in a sun-soaked room, lounging around and not forcing activities to keep things from becoming awkward. All the same, they are nowhere near the point where they can have a comfortable silence.

"Okay, would you rather... umph," Ty Lee begins with the cherry lightly touching her lips but nowhere near being eaten. "This is actually kind of hard. Would you rather lose your firebending or your every possession?"

"Ick. That one makes me shiver," Azula admits and Ty Lee tries to hold back a cringe. "I'd rather lose my possessions, of course. Would you rather lose your memories or lose your entire family?"

"My family," Ty Lee says after a shockingly brief moment of thought. Azula is startled by that answer.

Their game has been mostly in jest, mostly to try to uphold as much shallow conversation as possible. But, while Azula has learned a good deal about Ty Lee's priorities, she did not imagine that. And she did not imagine that Ty Lee must have thought about losing one of those before, because when Azula asked her if she would rather have tattooed on make-up that was outdated or never wear make-up again, she thought about it for so long that Azula almost tired of the afternoon altogether.

"Why?" Azula inquires, sitting up from her lounging position. That question has not been asked yet today, and Ty Lee shrugs.

"Because I don't even really know them, and I doubt they know me. My parents probably can't even tell me apart, and I don't talk to anyone else. I ran away before I was thirteen. And I'm here now, about to lose them permanently and get a new family, so I've... I've just come to terms with it, I guess." Ty Lee shrugs and Azula supposes that the reasoning is sound.

"That's very private," Azula says slowly, leaning back in her seat. Ty Lee notices how she sits on everything as if it is a throne, and that thrills her remorselessly.

Of course Ty Lee wants to be the _Fire Lady_. That is almost every girl's dream, because it is _possible_. If you only know how to get into the heart of the living heir. And Ty Lee thinks that she and Azula are making fairly good progress.

"I want to be honest with you," Ty Lee says sweetly, and Azula nods. She has a good point; Azula is a liar who likes other people to be honest. "I'm ready to join your family, if you like that."

Azula breathes in slowly, letting her wait. "I would."

[X]

Ty Lee leaves that evening and Azula has never felt so _lonely_. It perturbs her, because she has never felt truly lonesome in her life, but she thinks she might like the shallow company of her future wife. They have not known each other for long, and, therefore, it confuses her.

And so she goes with the known, what she has always known.

There she is, in her dimly lit bedroom, with Mai. With the first person she ever explored herself with, and she is trying to conceal any complex thoughts she has been harboring about her engagement.

Azula kisses Mai fiercely on the lips, pulling their bodies closer together. Her lips taste oddly sweet but Azula does not care why, overwhelmed by the fact that she is trying to quell a fire inside of her that she must neglect and ignore for months to come.

It is the dead of the night and Ty Lee has just left, along with the prying visitors. Azula and Mai came across each other while unable to sleep, and of course it escalated into this, into fumbling in the dark of Azula's room. Most likely to add up to nothing but a frantic tumble and Mai leaving without saying goodbye.

Azula's left hand slides up the side of Mai's body, over soft skin, over her ribs and then to cup her breast. Mai pushes her against the wall with relative ease, and they communicate without speaking, guiding hands to the places that elicit moans from make-up stained lips.

She wants her, and she wants her bad, but Azula is also very confused. She stops for a moment, gasping for breath and Mai pauses as well.

"Why are we doing this?" Azula asks abruptly and Mai cannot believe Azula has killed the escalation towards climax for _that_.

"I have no idea. Because you're crazy, and I'm crazy and we're all crazy." Mai seals their lips together again because she has no desire for discussion.

Azula wraps her fingers in Mai's raven hair, and the Fire Lady realizes what she is doing a split second before. She pulls away just as Azula pushes her down near her navel.

"No," Mai says calmly and Azula is certain they are about to argue when someone pounds on the door.

"Princess, there are matters of war you must attend to," says a sheepish voice of a servant.

Azula exhales softly, not sure what to think of _matters of war _at this hour. It must be something urgent, something Ozai only received news of just now. She finds clothes, ignoring what is unresolved, and hoping her father is too absorbed in whatever issue with the insurgency he is facing to notice the scent of sex and his wife's perfume.

She arrives in Ozai's office, only realizing how tired she is when she is halfway there.

"The sun isn't even up, father," Azula says quietly as she steps into the office.

"This matter is clearly more important than your beauty sleep," is his response. Cold, not mocking or angry, just matter-of-fact and cold as ice.

"What is it?" Azula asks groggily, leaning against the wall. The red wallpaper scratches against her back as she tries to stay awake.

"I didn't anticipate this. Your fiancée's protectorate is in uproar about her marriage announcement. There has been a strike in the coal mine and main factory for the past two weeks," Ozai says slowly and Azula is not sure what he is getting at. "They are minutes away from the first uprising the Fire Nation has ever faced."

Azula hesitates. "Let them burn, then. Make them an example. But I like Ty Lee and I refuse for her to be caught up in this. It will look much better if the protectorate is put into a bad light, and our destruction and cleansing looks like a good deed, and the wedding assures the public that their gods are benevolent."

_Their gods. _Ozai, Azula. _They are both gods._

"I'm glad you'll follow me," Ozai says for the first time. Azula is unsure what to say; her father does not speak save for orders, and he never compliments anyone. "You are my legacy. You are perfect, and I made you that way."

And then Azula realizes he is stroking his own ego, and it has nothing to do with him being proud of her.

"I will certainly make a legacy as well," Azula says softly and he examines her.

"I hope it will not take as much trial and error as in my family. It is such a shame that you have to settle for someone other than yourself," he says quite calmly and Azula bites the inside of her cheek.

"While I can't imagine they'd be stupid enough to rebel, I promise to help with the protectorate however I can." Azula turns to leave.

"Have you visited your brother recently?" Ozai inquires and Azula pauses just for a moment, her toe hitting the stone floor.

"No, father." He says nothing more, leaving the comment cryptic.

[X]

Ty Lee is at last at home with her mother in their comfortable lodgings. She doubts that they are ever going to be fully alone, but Ty Lee _needs _to talk to her. It is desperate, she fears that she will run out of time.

"Mother," Ty Lee says softly as she lies down in her bed. Her mother sneezes, and then nods once she gains her composure. "Are we in trouble?"

"What do you mean?" she asks without hesitation. Her tone is trained, but Ty Lee can see in her eyes that she understands.

"Are things going to go bad for us?" Ty Lee whispers, rolling onto her side to lock eyes with the woman who gave birth to her.

Ty Lee wonders if she knows that father died. Ty Lee wonders if she sold father out in order to get she and Ty Lee to safety. Ty Lee wonders if she knows her mother at all anymore.

"I only need you to do two things to stay safe, and to keep your family safe. Be the perfect wife to Princess Azula, and to do whatever the Fire Lord says without question. If you want your family to be safe, you should treat them as your only family," mother says clearly, staring at Ty Lee with a look that begs her to remember those words.

Ty Lee slowly nods, wishing that there were more they could say here. But they are both being too closely watched.

"I promise," Ty Lee says aloud, once she decides.

But she does not know if she could ever make that choice.

[X]

Many, many miles away from Ty Lee's snug and cozy bed, the protectorate she was born in is in an uproar.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Colony Kingdom," declares the girl with the choppy hair and scarred arms, "we only have one enemy. It is not just the Fire Nation, it is not just the people who try to silence us; it is one man, and his forefathers, and, eventually, his daughter."

The crowd becomes restless as the soldiers start moving forward. But the scarred girl refuses to stand down, her chin tilted proudly towards the bright Colony Kingdom sky.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Colony Kingdom. The announcement of the engagement between our friend, our kin, one of _us _to the Monster of the West, is the ember that lit the forest on fire. We cannot stand for this. We have one enemy, and he can make us turn against each other, and he can coerce us and force this wedding down our throats like a gift. We have one enemy, and it was the Colony Kingdom that fought in the war."

She pauses, swallowing, showing her nerves for the first time. The soldiers are getting closer, and the crowd seems unsure how to react.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Colony Kingdom, it was our blood that stained the Earth Kingdom soil, and it was _us _who won this land. It was our weapons that fought for our protectorates. And so, tonight, I say we take up those weapons again, and bite the hand that feeds us."

The soldiers move then, as soon as she is done speaking, and she dives out of the way. She draws the dagger from her belt and starts fighting, and she cannot be more pleased that the other people are joining in.

This night, the Protectorate of Shanxi Taun is overthrown in a bloodbath.

[X]

Ozai struggles with the news that he has lost an entire protectorate. He runs through constant scenarios in his head of what the best move to make is. Something harsh and permanent, but clouded with glitz, glamour and those false securities he promises.

It is the protectorate from whence his daughter's bride-to-be came, and he needs to find a way to make that an advantage instead of a disadvantage.

He had known it was coming, and now he feels like a fool for it. Ozai predicted uproar, but not the slaughter and massacre there that will be nearly impossible to cover up. He has a migraine that is only growing in fierce intensity.

"What is happening?" asks the woman he forgot was in the room. She can sometimes be like furniture to him, with her silence.

Ozai turns to Mai, whom has clearly been watching the chaos, and Ozai locking himself in his room and demanding no disturbances as he chooses a course of action. Just last night he felt like he was about to seize easy control and calm the Shanxi Protectorate.

He was wrong.

Thankfully, his daughter has let her adolescent hormones give him the perfect tile for his use. If only he can figure out something to do with it.

"What? Did they actually revolt or are they just striking again?" Mai breathes and he walks to her.

"They slaughtered Imperial Fire Nation soldiers," Ozai says. "Well, before the soldiers overpowered them. There are enemies in Caldera as well. And perhaps my child is marrying one of them. Her father was a rebel leader."

Mai purses her lips and gestures for him to sit down, and he does. And then _snap_, his shoulder. She stands up, striding very confidently as he bares his teeth and hides the pain.

"Your shoulder?" Mai asks.

"Mhm." Silence for a moment, despite the troubled day. She stands very close behind him, rubbing the pained part. "Am I too old for this?" Pause. "Am I old?"

"No," Mai says. "You're just falling apart. I think that Ty Lee is going to be useful. She's committed to our family and I think she will be perfect. The wedding. What dress will she be wearing? Floggings and crack downs on the Black Market. What kind of cake will she be eating? Withheld rations in exchange for sworn loyalty and confessions. What kind of flowers? Executions."

Ozai must admit he quite likes that idea. He knew he wanted to use the wedding to _distract_, but to use it in order to assert power…

"Perhaps your history in protectorate is useful for once," Ozai admits and Mai holds her tongue.

Mai feels conflicted about the issues in the Colony Kingdom. She was raised in complete privilege, despite being in one of the more impoverished protectorates, surrounding Omashu. Between worlds; she went to school in Caldera and then went home on breaks.

The plight of the protectorates is very, very real. And she is not sure if it can be controlled forever. There has not been a single success in history of keeping a legion of people as slaves and telling them they are free.

She is conflicted because there is no way the home land can hide its prejudice. Ty Lee will be whispered about. She looks mixed, like anyone would after One Hundred Years of blending. The first thing the Fire Lord said to her when he saw her undressed was how thankful he was that she looked Fire Nation.

Mai releases him but lingers without sitting down. "If there's anything we're good at, it's keeping people in the dark."

"I have already cut off communication and trade routes between Shanxi Taun and the neighboring cities."

"Then, let's forget about a rebellion doomed to fail and celebrate the royal wedding."

Her words are sardonic, but true.

"Come back," he orders and she does, feeling very relieved tonight after asserting her loyalty for as long as she can. He pulls her quite easily onto his lap, but before touching her is silent for a moment. "I did have soldiers sent to Ty Lee and her mother."

"Why?" Mai breathes.

"Because I'm going to get her to confess her mother is a traitor and perhaps after the execution, send her dress shopping." There is nothing to say after that, he just pulls her closer, and begins to undress her.

[X]

That night, Ty Lee wakes up to someone grabbing her and her mother and tearing them from their beds. Gasping and choking, Ty Lee wonders if she is still dreaming, but clearly she is not, as she looks around and sees the gruff soldiers dragging her away from her comfortable home and taking her towards the nearby barracks.

Barracks? Ty Lee has no idea what is happening or how she could possibly be in trouble. She has not done anything wrong; she would not dream of doing anything wrong. Ty Lee has even resisted making a lick of contact with her allies in the insurgency, to make sure she is the dumb, beloved bride, and not the person who her father died protecting.

He was a loyalist, despite his family's disgrace. Ty Lee was the rebel. Ty Lee was the one who did all of the things and held all of the meetings that he swore he did, and that her mother decided to pull her away and sell her before things became messy.

Ty Lee thought that no one knew. But her naivety is not just an act; it was her optimism and occasional blissful ignorance that got her caught back in her home.

"Why are you taking me? And where?" Ty Lee demands breathlessly, her eyes wide and sparkling like a pleading baby animal.

The soldiers remain silent as they drag her through dank hallways.

[X]

"How did you allow me to sleep through _this_? A fucking protectorate… and… _her protectorate_," Azula breathes to the Fire Lady, who somehow looks _bored _despite all of this.

"Your father is using you as a Pai Sho piece, but that'll be over eventually." Mai shrugs. "It's not like you actually like her yet, or have gone to bed with her or even are romantically interested. Regardless, she's not going to get hurt, except emotionally, and you can pull her into your arms like the _hero _you sure aren't…"

"You are not helping." Azula crosses her arms. "I am not angry because I am in love or lust with a girl I met a few weeks ago. I am angry because my father gave me that free will and then took it."

"Wow, it's not like anyone else has ever had an arranged marriage." Mai leans back and sighs. "Don't go to the prison. I am serious. Waiting is the better choice, and you are a planned, calculated person without a soul or a mind that can see things as anything but logic and what you can gain."

Azula frowns, because she knows that Mai is right. But Azula simply cannot comprehend why she is so concerned about the girl she is casually courting and will marry solely because Princess Azula is disappointingly barren. But she does, and she listens to Mai not because she agrees, but because Azula has to hide this at all costs.

She refuses to have a single weakness.

The Monster of the West does not love human girls.

[X]

Ty Lee looks at the men who are clearly going to torture her, and wonders what happened to her blissful afternoons with Azula, laughing and just being teenagers giving dating a try. She wonders how Azula and Ozai promised her the stars and an empire, and now are going to have her fingernails ripped out for no transgression but being born.

(Unless they _do _know she is a rebel. What if they do?)

But before the man can advance on her:

"Stop, stop," orders a familiar voice and Ty Lee looks up in shock. Fire Lord Ozai, here in this grungy interrogation room. "I gave no orders for this. Which of you marked her face? Be honest."

The man does not speak up, but his colleagues point to him.

Ozai then says, "And why on Earth would you ever think it was wise to mar the face of my daughter's fiancée, right before all of the events? You both take him to another room to see the repercussions of such a foolish decision."

The look in the victim's eyes makes Ty Lee's mouth dry, even if she is angry at him for hurting her. Ozai closes the door as soon as they are alone, and sits in front of Ty Lee without hesitation.

"I apologize for your mistreatment. Your arrest was ordered, but I would have never approved of this. You are halfway to being my family, and, Ty Lee, family are the only ones you can really trust. Can I trust you?"

Ty Lee bites down before nodding furiously. "Of course."

"Which family would you choose? The one that you will join in a few months, or the one that you are leaving?" Ozai inquires calmly and Ty Lee swallows bloody phlegm.

"Your family, your highness," Ty Lee says decisively, although she fears the repercussions.

"So I thought. You are not a rebel," Ozai says and Ty Lee does not know if he is trying to trick a confession out of her. Because _yes_, Ty Lee is a rebel, and one of the most prominent ones. "I have one thing to ask of you before I can release you to the palace and have you cleaned up and cared for."

"Anything," Ty Lee squeaks, trying to remember her bravery. It is not there right now.

"Is your mother aware of the actions of your family?" Ozai asks and Ty Lee swallows and starts to choke. "It's only a question. I've managed to pinpoint as many people who are from your protectorate as possible, to ask them what they know. But I believe the word of my daughter-in-law much more than the word of them."

Ty Lee frowns faintly. "What…" She licks her lips as she realizes how much he is saying without saying it. She needs to make the false confession or suffer. Ty Lee thinks quickly, thinks about what will be best in the long term.

And so she says, "My mother was aware of my father and some of my family members and their involvement in the rebellion."

Ozai unhooks the cuffs but holds up one hand for her to stay. "I would like that testimony signed."

Her heart is beating much too fast. She knows that this cannot be good, but she also does not think that she has a choice. Ty Lee stares at her shaking hands, and how pale and sweaty they are. She barely notices when the Fire Lord returns with a scroll and a pen and ink.

Ty Lee signs it with her eyes half-closed. She does not want to hurt the people she loves, but she also remembers the last thing her mother said to her before tonight.

Ozai rolls it up and offers a hand to Ty Lee. She almost does not take it, but she remembers herself and lets him pull her to her feet. Now more than ever she needs to be delicate and air-headed, the girlfriend of his daughter and nothing more.

"I will make sure a guard stays with you through the night. Your protectorate has likely turned against you, and I will not allow you to be hurt," he says and her stomach squirms.

[X]

Mai is occasionally right, and a very shaken Ty Lee immediately goes to Azula. It is likely not of trust, and probably because Ty Lee presumes that Azula's motive is romance. And perhaps it is. She pulls the trembling girl into her arms and holds her.

It works like a charm, save for the feeling in the pit of Azula's stomach that loves the way she feels and smells, and how warm she is. Azula writes it off as never having a true human relationship and her body reacts favorably because it is an unfamiliar yet pleasant situation.

Of course. Of course that is it, because the Monster of the West is invulnerable.

"I'm so scared," Ty Lee whimpers, realizing halfway through her sentence that she is no longer acting. "What do I do? How can I abandon it?"

"You are destined to leave that life behind like a spider-snake sheds skin. You are destined to marry me, and bear my children and eventually be Fire Lady," Azula says clinically before awkwardly stroking Ty Lee's neck in hopes of not seeming as tyrannous as she is.

"I don't know what to trust," Ty Lee whispers. "He said I wouldn't be hurt."

Azula clenches her jaw and suddenly understands the comment about Zuko. "Come meet my brother, and you can see my father's brand of mercy."


	5. Feminine Passivity

A/N: This is a really awful author's note given the content of this story but: *whispers* (there ain't no wedding like a Tyzula wedding because a Tyzula wedding is **_mandatory_**)

* * *

**Chapter Five:** Feminine Passivity

* * *

Ty Lee does not know what to anticipate when meeting Zuko; she had no idea that such a thing was possible. He was supposed to be in quiet, peaceful exile on Ember Island after he was nearly killed in an altercation with the Earth Kingdom navy on his fruitless quest for the Avatar. But, Ty Lee thinks that perhaps in the family that will soon be hers, things are not always exactly as they seem.

In Ty Lee's family, it was no different.

Azula does not dread visiting Zuko, even if it makes her feel uncomfortable. It is not as if he is in any _squalor _or _agony_, unless you count how whiny he can be. But Azula thinks he is probably incredibly lonely. Particularly after his absurd choice during his final punishment.

Ty Lee is led down a few hallways that she has never come across, simply because no one has taken her to them. Azula keeps Ty Lee close to her, her hand slowly migrating to rest on Ty Lee's hip, the two of them together. Ty Lee is uncertain if she should love or be apprehensive of the touch, but it does send a strange shiver through her.

They at least reach a locked wing of the palace, and Azula is invited in by the guard, whom also bows to Ty Lee. She supposes she will be a princess soon, and that is terrifying. A part of her that she wants to conceal is thrilled to have spread her wings and flown to great things instead of her protectorate.

_But _the logical part of her knows that she is about to join the people who she fought against with blood, sweat and tears. It is a complicated situation, and Ty Lee is still beyond rattled by her experience coming close to being tortured.

She wonders if her father felt that way too. Ty Lee wants to know what happened to him, but, on the other hand, she thinks that she probably would rather remain in the dark. The Fire Nation is not forgiving, and it never has been.

Azula tugs on her hand and Ty Lee is gladly removed from her racing thoughts about her father, and how he died for her.

If this is a prison, it is a beautiful one. But, then again, everything in this place is as deceptive as a garden of exclusively poisonous and carnivorous plants.

"I have no idea where he is right now," Azula says softly as she walks inside.

It smells like incense, everything is sparklingly clean. This could easily be kept up on Ember Island, where Zuko is supposed to be. But there are plenty of reasons why Zuko is kept close at hand, most of them being the fact that there was no altercation with the Earth Kingdom Navy.

A vigilante helping the Colony Kingdom insurgency, The Blue Spirit, was caught at last by an overly ambitious young woman. And when the mask came off, everything changed.

* * *

_Azula is not supposed to ever be astray of the royal procession. While she may be more competent than any old man or woman in the military, she is still fifteen, and she is still the Fire Lord's daughter and therefore sole heir to a global empire. But tonight, she has been pacing back and forth, stifling cold sobs until she is able to lie down and let the tears roll silently until they decide to at last cease._

_She does not cry, nor does she look weak. But right now, she cannot bear the thought of going home. Azula cannot imagine going back there, with no finish line in sight, with the new knowledge burned into her mind and her body._

_Quietly, she packs up what little she has, cleans herself up, pulls on reconnaissance clothes and makes an insane split-second decision to run away. Azula walks through the city streets and looks at the occupation being enforced brutally._

_The soldiers from the protectorates around come and casually take care of it. Earth Kingdom strongholds do not last for very long. Particularly when the Fire Nation sends the Monster of the West to take care of it. _

_Azula is so confused and she does not know what to do. She is playing at being a queen, but she feels sometimes so much like a scared little girl._

_She wants to run away so desperately, while in this smoky city that is hers now._

_It is when she is first beginning to contemplate turning back when she sees people trying to slip away from the occupation. Her eyes drift up and around, looking for anyone intending to kill them, because Azula refuses to go down like that._

_But there is no one; clearly these people know the way out, unnoticed._

_Azula follows slowly, quietly, her fingers twisted and prepared to strike as she removes the metal seal on the wall that is loosened already. As if they knew. As if they knew that Azula would win, but... why would they not suspect that?_

_She tracks them as far as she can, and she is in the dead of the woods when she loses the trail. Azula hates forests. She has always hated them, and how much like mazes they tend to be._

_Slowly, she turns to try to find the stream she passed and find a way through the trees. Perhaps then she can start over... Or turn back and beg for help._

_Azula is lost and panicked when she stops and just stares, panicked. She has never felt like this, even when conquering cities or fighting countless grown men at once. _

_This was so stupid. Azula doesn't make irrational decisions based on pained emotions. Azula does not choose to sacrifice her dream of the throne just because her father upsets her._

_It is as her heart is pounding that she suddenly feels two blades pressed against her neck. The first and only reaction she has is to kick up in a blast of cerulean flame that lights the trees around her._

_She throws fire as blindingly bright as she can in order to retreat slightly and get a look at her opponent. As soon as the smoke clears and Azula is leaning back, swaying and waiting breathlessly, she sees the mask on him._

_Vigilante. Countless wanted posters._

_He lunges at her and she dodges the sword, throwing back fire. She stumbles, still in shock about someone she thought was just a myth made up by hopeful rebels who wanted to believe in something that didn't exist. _

_She knocks one of the swords from his hand with careful timing, and as he reels back she moves towards one of the burning trees, prepared to kick off of it. Then fire comes soaring at her face, and she slides down, dodging it in shock._

_"I wasn't expecting that," she admits and he does not respond, as if he truly is a ghost._

_Azula moves forward as he throws his second sword down into the dirt and moves at her with a few messy movements. Azula grabs his wrist. He seemed mysterious and powerful, but now that they are on the same playing field, the fight is a joke._

_She throws him down and the air crackles with static as she prepares for a death blow. But then she sighs as he tries to push himself up and points the lightning towards the sky. It cracks in the indigo sky._

_"I need a way out of this forest," she demands, grabbing him by the front of his shirt. "You're going to lead me out."_

_Silence. She clenches her jaw and tears the mask from his face._

_And promptly, she drops him in shock. _

* * *

Azula does find her brother in his pretty gilded cage of supposed exile, while he is just kept in Ozai's pocket. He is looking bored and Azula sits down across from him.

"You must need something," he rasps and Ty Lee is too wary to move forward.

"I just want to introduce you to my fiancee," Azula purrs and he does not believe it for a second.

"You want to show off the family pet," Zuko says and Azula looks at her feet.

"Maybe," Azula says quietly, glancing up at Ty Lee. "Tell her about what happened when we went home."

Zuko leans back and rolls his eyes. He does not want to go into waking in a room with a locked door, two choices, and the only way he is able to get out is to decide. It is not something he will talk about to this strange little trophy wife his sister is flaunting. His scar is embarrassing enough.

"I don't have the time or patience for this," he says, glancing at the very attractive girl staring at him as if he is a weird apparition.

"Have you ever heard of the Blue Spirit, Ty Lee?" Azula says and her eyebrows shoot up in recognition.

Ty Lee searches for the words as she looks at him. "He's a myth," she murmurs and Zuko stares at her for a moment.

_He is an icon of the resistance._

"Well, he went away," Azula says quietly, examining her brother. "Tell her about it."

"I don't have time for this." He stands up and passes her, and Ty Lee knocks into him, making it look like her fault.

She whispers something to him that Azula does not notice as she twists her fingers in frustration.

His eyes flicker and he looks at her in a quite different light.

How very unfortunate for father...

Ty Lee glances up at Azula as they leave, unsure what to say.

"I'm sorry." Azula hesitates. "My father forced him to make a choice."

"What kind of choice?" Ty Lee asks quietly.

"The kind no one should have to make. The kind where the real punishment is living with it." Azula says no more, because she considers this to have been a monumental waste of time.

Zuko has never once held back in his endless _whining _or _agony _about his situation.

But Ty Lee does not find it a waste of time. It was sheer luck and fortune, and now she has a genuine ally, if she ever is able to see him again.

Azula has no clue at all whatsoever about Ty Lee's happy thoughts beneath her blank expression, but they are interrupted before anything can be worked out between them.

"The Fire Lord would like to see you, princess," says a servant who tends to play the role of courier. "And the Fire Lady you."

Ty Lee takes a very slow breath, not wanting to be parted from Azula, particularly after the situation she just faced. Princess Azula is a very evident source of protection of Ty Lee's life, the best kind of shield. It is horrible, horrible to want to use someone like that, but Ty Lee knows that she is not into safety until the engagement is officially announced and Ty Lee made into an example.

Without a second thought, Ty Lee presses her lips to Azula's cheek and allows herself to be escorted away. Of course she is taken by guards, while Azula confidently strides off on her own. But Ty Lee could take them down with a few punches any day.

For now, however, Ty Lee follows the gospel of codependent, frivolous and nonthreatening girlishness. It is one she learned well, to the point that she often can no longer find the distinction between herself ─ or at least a self she was once upon a time ─ and the character she created.

A character that even _she_ likes better than a rambunctious runaway teenager.

Maybe because nobody noticed her until she took the radiance of freedom, spirituality and freely given love and made it into solely beauty and allowing people to do as they please because it is easier.

Ty Lee is left with Mai, a person she is not sure what she thinks about. She wonders if Mai has lost sight of where the seams are between a human and a created facade. And then she wonders if perhaps Azula has done the same, and Ty Lee never gave it any thought because Azula was the enemy for so long.

"I'm babysitting you," Mai admits honestly, watching Ty Lee closely. It is true, despite the fact that Mai and Ty Lee are only a few months apart in age. "It's going to boring. But no one wants to lose track of you before the announcement."

Well, Ty Lee can agree with that sentiment. The less of a stir she makes, the more likely she lives through another night.

Ty Lee wants to strike up small talk, but she is brimming with questions. So many, _so many_. And Mai definitely is not enthused about them.

"Are you going to be having an heir first? I imagine that's why he married you so long after..." Ty Lee trails off. She may have worked for the insurgents remorselessly, but she is not stupid enough to go on about such things as that.

"Probably. When I'm older and at the prime age for it," Mai says honestly with a shrug. She does not seem to care at all.

"Do you see your family anymore?" Ty Lee asks foolishly, and then she feels the bitter taste of betrayal in her mouth. She betrayed her family for her own safety.

"No. And I'm glad of it. I hated my mother, mostly hated my father when he was around," Mai says in a monotone as if discussing boring textbooks. "I always liked this family better than my own."

"It's harder for people who didn't grow up with them," Ty Lee says and Mai admits that she has a very good point. "They were just a distant... concept, to me for my whole life."

Mai looks at her, examining her with those scrutinizing amber eyes. "I went to school in Caldera and spent my summers in the Colony Kingdom. I know the distinction."

"Of course," Ty Lee says sweetly and Mai taps her foot softly on the floor.

"I really don't want to talk," Mai says carelessly, looking at the girl in front of her who is the embodiment of those saccharine trophy wives.

Ty Lee tries not to frown, tries to look pretty and airheaded. She needs to play the role of the trophy wife, and, after all, that is what she has been told to be since she was young.

Her family was overjoyed by her birth; she was the only planned child in her family. She was born with a twin sister, and her parents had two sets of twins after them, with the intent for only four children, the norm in the Colony Kingdom where population was so vital.

Ty Lee excited the, because from the moment she was born, they said that she was special. When the diviner came to examine her and deem if she was blessed by the spirits or not, she was overwhelmed by the strength and spirituality.

Unfortunately, the beauty, strength and spirituality of Ty Lee were what made her a disappointment. She was intentionally overshadowed by her sisters, even though they were consider her lesser. The first arranged marriage, and to a much nicer protectorate than the one she was raised in, fell through because Ty Lee decided to run off and join the circus.

Her twin sister was wed to him, and all was well enough.

Ty Lee thinks it started before the attempt at marriage. She remembers being told that she was too old to play with peasant children by the hills at night, and that she needed to focus on both education and social events, making connections. Ty Lee was good with people, once she managed to swallow being a socialite and not a girl playing cartwheels.

But she screamed as her mother dragged her back to their manor home by the wrists.

* * *

_The boys and girls all like Ty Lee. Everyone does and that is what makes her so good at what she does. Long ago, her mother told her one good piece of advice. The most important skill in any line of work is to make people feel positive when you walk into the room._

_So, in a protectorate where she spreads as much joy as possible, she finds it very easy to slowly slay the beast of the Fire Nation from the inside._

_She takes the clippings she saved from a bouquet her friend was making with her, the nasturtium flowers. They are red and gold, brilliantly so, with very gentle curves and they don't smell half bad. They represent victory in battle, in the Fire Nation lore, but no one pays much attention to the endless list of symbols and omens that the Fire Empire has gathered over the years of ceaseless war._

_They are also nicknamed Tiger's Bride flowers, which is funny to Ty Lee, since they don't specify what kind of tiger, or why any kind of tiger would have a bride. But it is definitely an easier symbol to remember than nasturtium._

_The first person she hands one to is her friend and long time crush, a soldier from the Fire Nation. He paid her no mind for so long, until she returned from the circus as a stunning young woman with a knowledge of how good it feels to just stop caring._

_Life hurts so much less when you are constantly floating in ignorant bliss._

_"You should be the one having these," he says, examining it and then sliding into her hair._

_The proper response is to bat her eyelashes, because Ty Lee wanted him to do exactly that._

_"Thank you," she says softly as they stand there on the street._

_She spends the afternoon with him, regardless of how people are going to talk, stopping every time she runs into a friend who would have never been a friend until Ty Lee resurrected herself as someone more universally appealing._

_But in the night, everything changes. Ty Lee sneaks out, not drawing any attention to herself, and goes to the meeting that she gave notice about by handing out the flowers that were a symbol of the meeting tonight. Every friend was someone who is taking part in the insurgency._

_She sits quietly, and she listens, rubbing her lips together and waiting to say her part._

_"Our greatest threat isn't the Fire Nation soldiers. It's the collaborators," says her friend, a girl with scars on her arms. "The people who want the land and the gifts, and don't care about it actually being theirs."_

_Ty Lee opens her lips at last, just to say, "Well we can water their land with the blood of collaborators and soldiers."_

* * *

Ty Lee is getting incredibly bored as she gazes into Mai's mirror and examines the handful of beauty products and presumed gifts. It all smells of sweet perfume.

"Can we please talk?" Ty Lee asks and Mai shrugs.

"Yeah. About what?" The Fire Lady is lying on her bed and already tiring of this ridiculous request that she took.

"Why did the Fire Lord marry you? I mean, you're gorgeous but I'm curious about the selection and..." Ty Lee blushes and hopes she has not said something callous again. She has an awful habit of accidentally cruelty.

Mai hesitates, unsure what to make of the question. "You're asking if he was into me when I was a child?"

"Maybe." Ty Lee hates how Mai can see through her. It makes her nervous about more than just her silly questions; Ty Lee is hiding things that could jeopardize more than just her marriage and her life.

"No. My parents pushed for it, yes, because they're disgusting." The slight curl of her lip in a snarl is the most of a facial expression Ty Lee has seen her make. "But I was fourteen, which was reasonable, and I was a pretty, erudite woman who was raised in politics and kept her mouth shut."

"That's..." Ty Lee is not sure what to think of it. She wonders if that is useful to know, useful to apply to the girl she is putting forward.

But she looks at the mirror, in which she has been thoughtlessly examining herself, and has, yet again, the nagging suspicion that despite being a warrior and a free spirit, she has worn this mask for so long that she considers it to be her normal and beloved face.

She peels her eyes away and looks at her soon-to-be mother in law.

"Being honest, I didn't care where I wound up as long as I wound up far away from the people who raised me. Azula has been my best friend since we were little kids. The Fire Lord is... not as... I like him. Enough, at least. He's definitely more respectful of me as an autonomous person than anyone else I met before, which is disturbing." Mai squints briefly and then loosens her face.

Ty Lee rubs her neck. "So, it worked out?"

"Yeah. So what if he chose me for reasons like that? And honestly I don't mind the pressure too much about the heir. With you around, at least."

Sharp realization. "You wanted Azula to settle on someone too."

"Yes. You're not bad. A little naive and definitely with too blatant of a defense mechanism. Trophy wife airhead has to be played a bit more subtly. I couldn't pull it off for the life of me. Mostly because smiling is gross."

Ty Lee does snicker. Mai shrugs.

They're teenagers, is the sudden realization. They're teenagers who are forced into the most adult world there could be. Ty Lee knows she might be a woman in many ways, but everyone is aware of the fact that youths are quite different from adults, even when being wed or fighting in a war... or conquering half the Colony Kingdom and winning enough medals that if Azula melted them down, she could make a life-sized statue of herself.

"And the, uhm... Azula and I, still... I still am... I don't even know how we're going to do it."

Mai has a brief and strange look in her eyes. "I was clueless. It was awful. My wedding night was the worst night of my entire life."

That certainly has not made Ty Lee more comfortable.

"I..."

"But I know Azula in certain ways..."

"You're sleeping with her, I know. Why do you...?" Ty Lee purses her lips and does not know what she should say right now.

"Yeah, I'm sleeping with her. When people are attracted to each other, that's what they do," Mai says with a sigh. This actually _does _feel like babysitting. "I have a question, actually."

"Mhm?" Ty Lee asks, sitting down on the gilded vanity table.

"Why do you assume that you can ask me anything and I won't tell? I have given you no reason to believe that I'm on your side," Mai inquires and Ty Lee has to admit it is a good question.

But Ty Lee has nothing to say in response for that. "Maybe we should just be quiet now."

"Good," is Mai's only word for the rest of the evening.

[X]

Ty Lee has been consumed by beauty for a long time. It's such a disturbingly fleeting thing, that it troubles her too much. Like when she had a bouquet of various flowers tucked into a glass vase in her bathroom when she was too young to truly understand.

They wilted and died, gradually losing that beauty over time.

It was disheartening to say the least.

She is currently being made up like she never imagined before. Yes, after she ran away from home and found herself, and let her spirit fly and her aura intensify to be brighter than the sun, stars and every flame in the Fire Nation, she found that she had become gorgeous by way of nature.

And accentuating that just felt _right_. But right now? Right now she has never felt so stunning, yet, she has never felt so much like a lifeless doll before either.

How can such pretty things drain away the beauty inside of her?

"We don't have any pearls," says the apprentice of the beautician. The beautician rolls her yellowish eyes again. "What?"

"Amber then. Give me amber," she sighs.

"You ran out yesterday," states the girl and the glare from her supervisor makes her hastily tack on, "Ma'am."

"It's the Colony Kingdom shortages again," groans the woman with a roll of her eyes. "Everything from the mines is rationed. But they say make her glitter. How do I make her glitter with nothing but scraps?"

She continues to mutter obscenities to herself while spreading lacquer on Ty Lee's toenails.

Strikes. It could only be strikes that would cause shortages from mines. There are a handful of things that come only from the Colony Kingdom. Spices, types of wood, stone and gems. The raw materials that the Fire Nation salivated over.

"Do you have any, um, other shortages of things from the Colony Kingdom?" Ty Lee inquires lightly as the woman glistening with sweat completes the sector of the dress on Ty Lee's slender form.

"A couple. Mostly things from the mines, you know? We're too reliant on those, I think. Not that we have any resources left in our own farmland." She chuckles before realizing that perhaps her words were foolish, and Ty Lee allows her to continue the endless tailoring in silence.

"Is that the best you can do?" asks the woman walking in and preventing Ty Lee from prodding further into the fate of her homeland. "I thought we said _sparkle_."

Azula looks wonderful. As always. Ty Lee bets she would look good in rags and smeared in mud. And, well, Azula thinks the same about herself.

"You look fantastic," Ty Lee interjects as the beautician fishes for the words to say.

"Of course. I know." Pause. "You do clean up nicely. Better than in borrowed clothes and the wrong shade of make-up at least."

Ty Lee grimaces, fully unsure what to make of that.

She just knows that time is ticking down rapidly to the announcement.

[X]

The balcony of the Royal Plaza is a view like no other. Particularly with a gathering of people beneath it. The height and gravity of the moment both make Ty Lee dizzy.

Silently, Ty Lee wears the jovial party dress like a funeral shroud, the new necklace of rubies against her neck like a thousand dripping drops of blood from a dagger and her smile built solely of feigned ecstasy. She looks very little like the pretty but earthy girl who loved to flirt and dance but also liked to fight for her cause.

But now she is certain that the people who supported her before are seeing the necrotic resurrection of their sweet young woman as a likely traitor, no longer the prosaic colony girl and now this glamorous doll, a plaything of the Fire Nation.

She hopes that they know that she is still the girl she once knew, even if she is so changed.

All she can do is gaze forward, as with bravado, Ty Lee becomes the figurehead of the movement she spent her adolescence trying to destroy.

She smiles weakly; she had imagined that she would be able to give a better performance, but she was not prepared for this.

Her lips meet with Azula's, narrowly missing her nose.

People like her. She laughs and glows, sparkling with her own energy regardless of her clothes.

Now nothing can hurt her anymore.

[X]

Now nothing can hurt her anymore, or so she thought.

Ty Lee wrings her hands as she sits, bathed and in a comfortable robe, however with reapplied make-up, across from Azula. The room is calm and smells of crisp lavender, and Azula thinks it could not have gone better.

She looks her future wife up and down again, trying to get another feel for her. But something does feel off, she supposes. Something that makes her nearly impossible for Azula to comprehend. Her range of expressions is less impressive than Mai's; she just wears plastic smiles and tilts her eyes towards the light until they sparkle like a baby animal or a pretty young thing.

"Did you like that?" Azula inquires, the conversation shifting from a discussion of pastries.

"It was exhilarating," Ty Lee admits, and a genuine smile creeps across her lips. It is wicked but innocent in a way that entices Azula much more than any of the others. "Being up there and... idolized. Does that make me awful?"

Azula leans back and clasps her hands on her lap. She does think that this marriage might not be that bad in the end.

"No. It makes you human," Azula says softly, a little derision on the word _human_, although she does not intend it.

"Yeah," Ty Lee says softly with that dreamy smile again. "Do they think we're in love?"

"No," Azula says, shaking her head. "No one is that ignorant. But I'm sure they think that we're impossibly sexy together. You complement me well."

Ty Lee thinks it is a reasonable enough compliment. She puts the cherry frosted thing into her mouth so that she does not have to respond to that.

_"Do you think we'll ever be in love?" _Ty Lee wants to ask, but she is not stupid enough to say it aloud.

[X]

"I'm not sending you back to your hotel alone. Granted that I'm sure you're going to be a target after your choice," Fire Lord Ozai says as he examines the girl whom he is inviting into his family. He likes her. He likes how malleable and thanklessly devoted she is. She is the perfect tool for any number of things.

There is, however, just one last test.

"What was my choice?" Ty Lee asks genuinely, trying to keep her voice high and innocent, even though it threatens to be constricted with emotion.

"Signing over the testimony against your mother," he says and Azula cocks an eyebrow. He certainly did not mention that at their brief meeting in which he coached her on what he wanted from the announcement. "Seeing as I plan to make such an example of any rebels."

Now Ty Lee realizes, but she does not want to realize. "Do you have others? And, I... will she...? Am I implicated in what sh-she did?"

Azula watches her crumble, the seams of her persona tearing before the princess's eyes. The Monster of the West is unsure what to make of this entire situation.

"Of course not. You're the exact opposite of those insurgents," Ozai says calmly and Ty Lee thinks that perhaps he sees through her. "So, I imagine you'll endorse my actions."

Ty Lee hesitates. "Yes."

Yes is the answer for now. She can find a way around this, she knows that she can.


	6. Little Rebel Girl

A/N: The nasturtium flowers mentioned in the last chapter and now beginning to play a very important role from this chapter forward, actually have no slang name for them. The Tiger's Bride is an Angela Carter reference, and seemed to be part of a very fitting story similar to Ty Lee and Azula's. So, that isn't at all the right name for the flowers.

* * *

**Chapter Six: **Little Rebel Girl

* * *

Many miles away from the Royal Palace, a feminine figure garbed in black kneels on a roof while gentle rain pounds down from the grey sky.

It is far in the Western Fire Nation, away from Caldera, and away from the perils there. But that does not mean that everything is well and fine. Safety is unwise, and it always has been.

She is unarmed, her hands slick with mud as she looks below her, examining the path she is going to have to take. Licking her lips, she breathes in the humid and hot air as she feels her knees become sore. Watching. She has been watching for a long time as a scout for the people she is alongside.

It is a wet summer, and the girl is eternally grateful for that fact, even if she always feels out of sorts in the heat. Something moves ahead of her and she kneels deeper behind the decorations on the rooftop of the abandoned shop.

The movement was only a cat prowling through the abandoned town, and slowly, the shadowy young woman slides down the roof and lands with a small _splash _on the mud. She carefully navigates the streets, and deems it as abandoned as predicted.

It was left once the factory had polluted the farms, and the mines dried up. The Fire Nation only keeps things that are useful to it, and so everyone was displaced and moved to take up different jobs to serve the well-oiled machine of oppression.

She vaults through a broken window, carefully avoiding the shattered glass jutting up beneath her, and lands smoothly on her feet before waiting for her friends to follow her. Removing her ink black cowl, she reveals a very young face, tan skin and cobalt eyes.

Water Tribe. She is clearly from the Water Tribe, and so she has no place being seen by anyone; it would be impossible for her to convince anyone that she is even from the Colony Kingdom. Maybe some of them are interbred there; she is uncertain.

She just is certain that she had no choice but to go find something worth fighting for. The girl who demanded that she replace her father after his death. The girl who wanted to go into the Fire Nation and try to make sense of what she had gone through.

Her name is Katara, and she entered the Fire Nation a few seasons ago when she was still young and naive. Sokka tried to run away on his own after they wound up orphaned, and Katara followed him at all costs. They were taken in by a few insurgents hiding in the Western Fire Nation, but they were raided a few weeks ago, and now they leave safety.

Now their group of dozens is down to three, and they have no idea what they are supposed to do.

Katara thinks their only weapon is hope.

Sokka and Suki disagree.

Looking up, she is joined by them both.

"Are we even going in the right direction?" asks the other girl, glancing out of the window, at the endless landscape that might not even reach the safe house.

"I think we are," the first girl replies, although her voice comes out as a sigh. "This whole stretch is just gone. I thought that they would be a bit more... prosperous."

"Why do you think they're so reliant on the Colony Kingdom?" her brother remarks. "They dried their own country up a long time ago."

That is why the strikes scare them so much. Because the Colony Kingdom has more power than it thinks it does; it has the power to cut off the Fire Nation from everything it needs to survive and keep its people content.

"I found something while I was scouting the area," the Water Tribe girl says, reaching into her damp clothes and withdrawing a piece of slightly muddy, but mostly dry paper.

Her brother takes it from her and examines it. "This can't be real. Can it?"

"It's real," his sister says quietly.

The paper reads that in two days time, the collaborators with the rebels will be exposed and executed.

"So... some people must have chose to sell the others out instead of accept death." The brother is immensely disgusted by it. "Would you?"

Silence.

"I would rather die than betray my friends," Katara breathes, and that ends their conversation as they hide out in the house until the sun rises and the storm passes.

Suki, Sokka and Katara find wedding announcements in the same damp puddles as notices of execution. Wanted posters, new restrictions and rations, all excused by grand, bold faced lies. If people had no idea why resources were becoming difficult to get from the Colony Kingdom, they must be clueless.

Katara furrows her brow. Maybe they are clueless.

She is awake as she examines the collection of wedding announcements. On one, the dark new legislation about turning in anyone suspected of conspiracy has bled onto one of the petty wedding news about potential florists and other trivial nonsense.

That one is both funny and sad. Katara folds it up and keeps it.

"I doubt all of the Fire Nation is like this stretch," Suki says, frowning faintly. "There are a lot of people who don't know the half of the wars. And a lot of prosperous cities that weren't forced to slave away in factories."

"But those aren't exactly the people we need on our side," Sokka says with an exasperated sigh. He rubs his temples. "This was a lot easier when we had people with us who'd been doing this for years."

"There have to be some people left. There have to," Katara insists softly. She frowns at the papers and finds one that has a very crisp portrait and description of the Monster of the West's bride.

She looks creepy to Katara. Necrotic, but beautiful, in a sickening sort of way.

"The girl getting married," Suki says suddenly, her eyes flashing as she gets a closer look at the portrait that Katara holds. Closely, Suki examines the caption about the colony that Ty Lee was from, and her suspicion is confirmed. "She was a rebel. A pretty notorious one, even though she sure didn't look like it. Her protectorate was just a bit north of Kyoshi Island, and the couriers... they sometimes mentioned her."

Katara looks confused by that. Suki then remembers how Katara and Sokka know very little of the Colony Kingdom rebellion. They were isolated in the South Pole, while Suki grew up on an occupied island, in which the first change in her life came when the protectorate to the north began to hide letters and statements about rebellion in the usual shipments traded from the Kyoshi Island pier.

"She was the girl with the flowers; the one who sent the flowers in the mail to mark that they were from the rebels. Nasturtium flowers, better known as Tiger's Bride. It's a symbol of the rebellion but the Fire Nation seems pretty clueless since the flower used to be a nationalist icon." Suki's lips twitch at how clever that is. "She was just kind of the girl with the flowers. Might as well have been the Blue Spirit to us, but the fact that she's the one marrying that monster..."

"How can the Fire Lord not know?" Katara asks in utter disbelief that even someone as arrogant as Ozai could ignore that fact, but both Sokka and Suki exchange a glance.

"I bet you anything that he does," Suki says quietly, turning over the picture of what once was someone like her. Katara's eyes flash. "It's more of a statement than the crack down on _conspirators_. No one is safe. I guarantee you that it was a conscious choice to make her some sick slave like that. The protectorates that went dark... they were the ones around hers, like, like mine."

Sokka remembers Suki trying to hold in her emotion as she learned about the utter destruction of her island. But she was glad that they went down fighting, even if they were rendered to ashes.

Katara feels extremely ill. "Maybe she wanted to. Maybe she realized that we're not exactly the winning side. You said you never even met her."

Suki looks at her feet. "Coming from the girl who talks about hope..."

"Like I said, I would rather die than betray my friends. But maybe her choice was harder than that," Katara says softly before rising to set up their beds for the night.

"Being whatever she _is _now is worse than death."

They all can silently agree on that.

* * *

It is better to die than betray your friends, Ty Lee is certain.

Even worse is to betray your family in order to make your way into another. In order to become a royal doll.

But Ty Lee is still trying to figure out if this is what she is wanted to do, or what she is supposed to do. Is she intended to keep going and join the royal family for her protection? Or is she meant to accept a noble death?

Ty Lee does not know what she is supposed to do in this situation, or, in fact, even what she _can _do. She has moved in to a beautiful room in the palace, and she watches from the freshly made bed as the servants arrange it. It will be her room for the rest of forever, unless she would prefer to sleep in with Azula.

But every person needs a room of one's own. That is simply how life works, in some ways. Only peasants and farmers have to be crushed into shared rooms; even Ty Lee and her infinite family had their own bedrooms.

"I'm sure you want to go shopping, to pick out new clothes and any other fixtures you want," warmly says the head servant and Ty Lee looks up at her with the most grateful smile that she can muster at the moment. "The princess would most certainly like to escort you."

_Now_, that sounds like a normal date. Ty Lee hates how her fingers twitch with brief excitement, how much she would like to go out with Azula. But right now, she should be thinking about how to save her mother's life, not about courting her possible future wife.

It is not a nice situation for anyone, and Ty Lee does not think that anyone will get what they want in the end.

A thought suddenly occurs to Ty Lee, and it is not a particularly nice one. She _does _know that finds Azula to be interesting, and beautiful, and funny and smart and probably the _est _of all of those things. Ty Lee is well aware that Princess Azula of the Fire Nation is one of the most intriguing and seemingly perfect people Ty Lee has ever encountered.

Another, more fleeting thought, is that, perhaps one day, she would be Princess Ty Lee of the Fire Nation. But that one is even more frightening, and so she goes back to lean on the first.

Her first is to give Azula the best date of her life, and then lean on that in hopes of getting to talk to her mother before things escalate. Or at least, somewhat more suspiciously, be able to talk to Zuko. He _was _the Blue Spirit after all.

"I love shopping," Ty Lee says honestly, although her tone is cheerier than she is feeling.

"I will go request the princess's presence." The servant bows more deeply to Ty Lee than anyone has before. It gives a rush of power, of _importance_, and Ty Lee does not regret how much she desires that.

Ty Lee looks at her room and feels... _glamorous_.

Glamorous and utterly selfish for indulging in this while her friends, and who knows who else, could be awaiting the chopping block.

They arrive at a flower shop and Ty Lee tugs Azula inside.

"You want flowers in your room?" Azula inquires with a smirk.

"Yes," Ty Lee says softly. "I wear them in my hair _all the time_, well, _did_, of course, because they don't really survive cross-ocean trips. Maybe we can even see some that would be good for the wedding!"

She grins with her teeth glittering white and pretty. Azula finds it endearing; it awakens something quite odd and vaguely erotic in her, and she has nothing better to do but look at flowers.

Ty Lee is engrossed as she looks around, searching for something that is classic enough to work with her new royal wardrobe. The florist arrives near her and Ty Lee stops carefully comparing some roses.

"I was thinking you might want some of these." In her hand is Tiger's Bride.

The vibrant oranges and yellows, Ty Lee could never miss for a second. Nor the look in the woman's eyes as she sees Ty Lee.

"They're beautiful," Ty Lee whispers, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

Zuko, now this... maybe she is not alone in this land as she thought that she was.

"They're the perfect flower for you, I believe," warmly says the florist with a gentle boy. Azula strides towards the back and the shared gaze is broken as the shop owner bows much more deeply to Azula.

"I love these," Ty Lee says prettily and Azula sees her honesty and innocence.

"You'll have them. Anything you want, of course," Azula says, thinking that those are the right words for a future wife. To give her bride anything she desires is the most important foundation of marriage.

[X]

It has been five weeks since the strikes began in the Colony Kingdom. They do not seem to be of much importance, as Caldera goes on as usual, save for some lack of goods that people whine loudly about, but do not miss too much. It will, Ty Lee thinks, either get much worse, or much better.

"What do you like?" Azula inquires as she takes Ty Lee by the wrist. Her nails feel fairly nice against Ty Lee's skin, and she wonders what it would be like to be scratched by them. For Azula to change her mind and slit Ty Lee's wrists like the Monster of the West would. But instead, she chooses to take her hand and guide her through the streets.

_There is nothing wrong with an attraction to her, _Ty Lee reassures herself. _She is _not _the Fire Nation, even if she claims it. Azula might just be a wonderful wife for you, and you should enjoy yourself while you can._

"I like a lot of pink. Oh, a lot of _glamour_, if you know what I mean?" Ty Lee says blithely, already feeling the shopping high taking over her body.

The body that Azula cannot help but gaze at, cannot help but want to taste and explore without reprieve. But the princess refuses to force herself on someone else; it sickens her to the core. All she can do as try to build some form of _trust_, which also sickens her to the core, and seems even _more _impossible than restraining herself sexually.

She wants Ty Lee to be a wife, however. Not a courtesan or some sick sexual outlet. Or worse ─ a _friend_. In all honesty, if somehow _father _got Mai between his sheets eventually, it will happen with Azula and Ty Lee. Patience; Princess Azula has learned patience as she learned war.

"I think we should begin at the boutiques with all of the crafted furnishings. Clothes are in the other direction," Azula orders coolly and Ty Lee does not protest. "And then stop for tea, I suppose?"

"I would love that," Ty Lee says earnestly, and Azula can see the truth in her eyes.

The fact that a war might be brewing is the last thing on their minds. All the small rebellions just feel like a gentle buzz of bees trying to make noise over an opera. And it is a gorgeous story of Ty Lee trying to distract herself from her crimes.

Crimes that Azula does not know about, even if the princess knows Ty Lee's father was a rebel. But not that her father took the blow for Ty Lee, dying in her stead, and giving her this chance. She wonders too often at night if he wanted her to _do something _while with the royal family, or if he figured that ─ as is true ─ the safest place is married to the future Fire Lord.

Can you imagine a rebel as Fire Lady? No. Can you imagine the girl playing with fascinators, kimonos and squinting at shades of silk curtains as Fire Lady? Absolutely.

Azula watches her with an amused expression, her lips curled in that small smirk. Ty Lee only notices today that she wears different shades of lip paint; they all just seemed _orangey_ to Ty Lee, and she never pressed any further than that.

Ty Lee is beautiful, Azula notices. And she intrigues her in a number of ways that Azula is not quite certain of. She is exactly the type Azula likes; gorgeous, shallow, preferring to be subservient than to hurt or cause trouble with others, ambitious and easy to manipulate. It helps that Azula has enjoyed at least half of their conversation.

"I like these," Azula says softly, and Ty Lee looks into her gilded eyes.

Azula is beautiful, Ty Lee notices. And she intrigues her in a number of ways that Ty Lee cannot explain, and does not want to have to understand. Ty Lee is the kind of person who does not need to know where the cat came from or is going, she just wants to know if there is a cat. Azula is exactly the type Ty Lee likes; stunning, unafraid and with a fire in her that draws people like moths to flame. More so, Ty Lee thinks that what the Monster of the West needs is someone who can see the shreds of humanity in her, and Ty Lee thinks she is the person who can do that.

Princess Azula watches and guides her fiancee, sometimes listening to her, sometimes not. The entire time, contemplating just where this relationship might go.

Because right now, it is uncertain.

And Azula hates uncertain things.

[X]

Azula wakes in the night to someone knocking gently on the door. She mostly expects Mai, and so she does not bother with much in the ways of clothes or looking remotely presentable, but when she opens it, there is her fiancee, standing in the doorway, rubbing her arm.

"Is there something wrong with your room?" Azula asks before realizing how cold she sounds. "I only mean that we can have anything fixed that you dislike."

That probably was not any better, but Ty Lee does not seem to mind in the slightest.

"I've never really... Slept somewhere this quiet. Or alone, really," Ty Lee says softly, and it is very true.

Over the past days separated from her mother, Ty Lee was too exhausted for conditions of sleeping to even mean anything. But now that she has realized the extent of her situation, the silence, the creaking floorboards and the distance from anyone or anything makes it impossible to sleep.

"You don't like to sleep in silence?" Azula asks with a cocked eyebrow. She is quite confused by the request, but she does not care, and steps aside to let Ty Lee inside.

The princess contemplates questioning her about how she is doing with her mother's imminent trial and imprisonment. But Azula figures that is not the best talk for the moment, and so she just closes the door and walks across the room to get back into her bed.

They lie down beside each other and it feels quiet strange to be so close, the heat of their bodies combined beneath the layers of soft blankets. Ty Lee closes her eyes, but her breathing makes it very clear that she is not asleep, and Azula lies awake, in one of those rare instances in which she does not know what she is supposed to say.

"Is something wrong?" Azula attempts, the words odd in her mouth. She is not even sure if they are the right ones, because she cannot remember the last time she _attempted _to hear about other people's problems, or let them know she cared by inquiring about their condition.

"I'm just a little lonely. How... could I not be?" Ty Lee whispers as she rolls onto her side and examines the princess with eyes that sparkle even in the shadows. _How could I not be afraid of your lunatic family and betraying everyone I love and having to marry you and have sex with you? _and in that thought, Ty Lee decides she does not get nearly enough credit for the things in life she does not say.

Azula has great distaste for the fact that she cannot properly read Ty Lee in the darkness, so, instead, she lies there quietly. She imagines that Ty Lee will talk to her, that she has no choice but to latch on to Azula to weather the storm that will be entering this family.

It is not easy to become one of the Fire Nation Royals. And Azula does think she is beginning to like Ty Lee, albeit she does not know if she could fall in love with someone if she tried.

"It must be hard never seeing your family again," Azula says callously, although she thinks she is being helpful. Ty Lee bites her lower lip. "I'm sure it's difficult for most people."

"Because it's announced, that means... it can't..." Ty Lee trails off, her cheeks heating up.

"Are you afraid my father will revoke the contract?" Azula breathes quite gently and Ty Lee swallows. She very much wishes Azula were not so astute about these things. "He won't. I know your father and mother are dangerous, and I know your protectorate was the first to revolt, _but _so long as you don't do anything stupid, he won't pass you up. And I think I might like you."

"You think you might like me?" Ty Lee asks softly, wondering why she feels so flattered by that. So _happy _about that. "I think I might like you too."

"There's an attraction I won't deny," Azula purrs as she slips closer to Ty Lee. The sexuality of the moment makes them both hesitate ever so slightly. "But I need time with people. We need a history before we can have a future as lovers."

"I'd like to make that history," Ty Lee says honestly.

Azula closes her eyes, and fights the rampaging and heated desire within her to take the girl beside her.

Ty Lee is a delicate thing to manipulate, and Azula will not screw it up with base human desire.

[X]

"Umm, Azula," Ty Lee inquires at breakfast. "I was wondering if I could try talking to Zuko again. I feel bad about hurting his feelings last time."

Azula shrugs. Oh this poor girl needs a dose of reality, but her optimism is both sexy and sickening.

"Go right ahead. I'll tell the guards you're going to try." Despite Ty Lee's undeniable charm, Azula does not think she will make any progress with Zuko.

Azula has a thousand times more charisma, and she tried with her brother until she just gave up.

[X]

"Hi, Zuko," Ty Lee says softly and he looks at her in utter confusion.

"I didn't know my sister's concubine was allowed to talk to a high security prisoner," he spits, but a glint in his eyes asks her to sit down.

"I am attempting to give myself wholly to my family, including you. And you didn't seem to want to get to know me around Azula," Ty Lee says sweetly, and that makes the guards stop caring at all about the discussion.

Zuko looks at her and Ty Lee gazes at him.

"So," Ty Lee slips him a paper she wrote earlier in her wedding planning book, "tell me about your family."

"My father married my girlfriend and I haven't seen her since. On holidays I get to attend dinner with them. I am very happy staying in my quarters and pretending that I don't exist. Is that all?" His aggravation might be real, or practiced, but then Ty Lee watches him begin scrawling characters back to her as she pretends to pout at him.

He hands it to her.

"Well, _fine_, if you don't want to talk, we don't have to," Ty Lee says shrilly with a fluttering of her eyelashes.

The Blue Spirit watches the Girl with the Flowers go, and thinks about how much she looked like one of them already. He wonders if this is her choice, or, fuck, maybe she even loves Azula. Zuko is unclear, and the letter doesn't say much except for an explanation of her past. Nothing about her current situation.

He wrote back what he could, and hoped that it wasn't an attempt of his father to get names out of his son again.

Maybe it was. Zuko is beginning to find that he doesn't care about anyone.

Except a few people. His uncle, his best friend... the girl he can still smell when he thinks about her in her dreams. She has the scent of sea salt, even when far inland, and earth, and maybe a hint of tobacco in her dark hair, although she didn't smoke, and something oddly sharp and spicy, like cinnamon. And her eyes haunt him, because when he made the difficult decision to go searching for his uncle in the Colony Kingdom under guise of the Blue Spirit, he left the security of hiding with the insurgents in the Fire Nation, and the Water Tribe girl he never told _I love you_ behind.

Maybe it was a mistake.

Zuko has made much, much worse decisions.

And he pays for them every single day he draws breath.

[X]

A diviner examines Ty Lee, in some kind of odd step in the marriage conditions. There is already enough to balance without juggling all of the strange Fire Nation customs. Especially when a custom involves being felt up by an old lady with tattooed on eyebrows.

"Is this, uh, actually necessary?" Ty Lee asks innocently, this time, like many times, actually clueless and saccharine.

"Yes," nods the very important looking woman in front of her, and her two female assistants. "It is invaluable, of course."

Ty Lee has been stripped down to underclothes, and her skin is prickling with goosebumps despite being in the dry Fire Nation heat. Being examined is not necessarily the _strangest _of happenings, but she cannot understand exactly _why _and no one has been very clear about it.

"Are those pierced?" asks the woman with the cold, analytical eyes.

"Are _what _pieced?" Ty Lee says, her hands resting on her barely covered breasts. "No. _No_. Of course not."

The examination does not go uphill from there, but she finds, as soon as she is put into a robe and sent off to go settle into her beautiful new room, and trim the flowers for her hair, that there are two guards waiting for her. Ty Lee pulls her robe tighter around herself, feeling even more exposed than with the old diviner's cold hands on her body.

"The Fire Lord would like to see you briefly before you settle into your accommodations," one recites as the other is clearly trying not to look bored.

Ty Lee's heart begins to pound out of control, her stomach doing backflips as she recalls the flowers. As she recalls going to see Zuko. Remembering that she had requested to see her mother again, although she thinks she is certain that she is testifying for her mother's death.

She is led, at last, to Fire Lord Ozai's office, in which her eyes drift around, and she keeps her hands tightly on herself. But his eyes do not even flicker there for a second, and Ty Lee is... kind of offended that he doesn't at least briefly examine her bare legs.

"You wanted to see your mother," Ozai says calmly and Ty Lee looks up at him.

"I don't... I promised to testify in the trial. I am loyal to you and Azula, not... not her. But she _is _my mother and I want to say good─" she stammers, but he holds up his hand to silence her.

"You may see your mother. I will have you escorted to a neutral meeting room, and then you can return to my family, _hopefully_, at complete ease. You and my daughter shared a bed last night; I'm glad of it. And you've been wearing your hair properly too." He sounds proud of _himself_, strangely, and Ty Lee does not know how much he knows.

That is the frightening thing.

[X]

Ty Lee winds up escorted to a room, but she quickly realizes that there is no way out. She is in prison, _oh_ she is in prison and there is no escape. There is no escape and she can only see a chair, and then notices a bed with a slender body on it to her left, and to her right, a notebook of some sort.

In the center, in front of the chair, is a set of handcuffs.

Altogether, they seem strange. It is then that she realizes that she has heard about these sick traps. She has heard about them, and Ty Lee has somehow committed transgressions against a family she _truly _was becoming happy to join.

Ty Lee looks around, and suddenly the chest of the body on the bed shudders. She walks over there quickly, and finds her mother, looking wan and sweaty.

"Are you okay?" Ty Lee whispers, horrified. She presses her hand to her mother's forehead and she has a strong fever. "You're sick. What did they do?"

Her pretty, wide baby animal eyes swim with tears.

"Take this." Mother shoves a piece of paper into Ty Lee's hands. It is sweaty from her mother's illness, and Ty Lee feels so much guilt for having fun on a date with Azula while _this _was happening.

She unravels the small scroll and reads.

_On the notebook, write down at least ten names of collaborators and rebels in the Southern Earth Kingdom. Your mother will receive medicine, and she will be spared the execution as long as you continue cooperating. Or, you may take the poison beside the notebook, and end her life painlessly. In the center of the room are chains. You will be wed, but not willingly, and not as yourself. You will be a prisoner, half-conscious and half-alive._

Ty Lee looks at the options and sits down, trying to control her breathing.

No, no, no, no.

Azula wouldn't let this happen. But Ty Lee knows nothing about Azula, except that they have a spark. There cannot be _love _with what they have so far; it is forced infatuation.

Knowing Azula, she probably does not care what happens to Ty Lee.

Even if she symbolizes protection to Ty Lee in this palace. Azula is a shield that Ty Lee has some very complex feelings about.

And then she snaps back to reality, far away from anyone who could but likely wouldn't help her. Wondering if Azula knew about this. If Azula is as sadistic as Ty Lee worried.

No, no, no, no.

How can Ty Lee make this choice? _How_?


	7. Sweet Sixteen

**Chapter Seven:** Sweet Sixteen

* * *

Ty Lee looks at her choices, and her ill mother turns to her.

"Give me the poison. I'm going to be used to control you," mother says softly, looking detached, her eyes glazed.

But Ty Lee shakes her head. Her father is already gone, and she has no idea about her sisters. She cannot bear the idea of losing her mother as well.

Ty Lee also would rather die than betray her friends. And while the part of her that just wants to be a beautiful royal bride and indulge that dreamy, girly self that she knows is her favorite personality is screaming that she would be very happy as Azula's accessory in her crown and allowing passivity, the chains feel wrong as well.

If there were not such need for revolution and freedom in the protectorates, Ty Lee would gladly take them, because that is the neutral choice; no one dies directly because of her. Not to mention that she finds the idea of giving herself wholly to a powerful person very romantic. But she began to stand for something when she joined the rebellion, and now Ty Lee hates the idea of falling for anything.

She needs to help her people. It is a cause that Ty Lee has given herself to, and she just wants to do what the other rebels would. What they would want her to do.

"Ty Lee," mother interrupts, "you always were a Caldera girl, despite your circus dream. And I want you to remember that there is a power in submission. There is a power in belonging to the royal family. You can influence things more than you ever could in the protectorates..."

Ty Lee does know that. But she knows that she cannot pick the chains either.

She picks up the poison and her mother looks relieved. Ty Lee uncorks it and examines it.

And she does the only thing she can; she drinks the bottle.

[X]

Ty Lee wakes up in her bedroom in the palace, feeling disoriented and ill. She remembers taking the poison, and how it burned her insides. It was definitely not a painless death, and she thinks her screams were bad enough, tearing open her throat. Hearing her mother's would have been worse.

She is numb, she is numb and now she sees Fire Lord Ozai hovering near her. Her blurry vision clears up with a few swift blinks of her eyes.

The poison didn't kill her.

"Forgive me, my dear," Ozai says as Ty Lee slowly begins to be able to feel her limbs. "I am enchanted by your choice. So... _defiant_."

"What happens now?" Ty Lee asks softly, and he thinks she will not be defiant for much longer. He actually thought she was far, far from the type to challenge anyone or anything. But perhaps she is stronger than she behaves.

"Your mother will stay alive, as I truly did like the... moxie in your decision. You don't have to write your list of names, and, well, I suppose the only leaves the handcuffs, doesn't it?" Ozai says calmly and Ty Lee stares at him for a moment.

"I didn't choose those," Ty Lee says weakly, looking up at him with those sweet, sparkling eyes.

"You chose not to choose. Taking the handcuffs would have been the neutral decision, or, more ultimately, the self-sacrifice to save your friends and mother. The poison was just a brilliant way of reaching the same outcome," Ozai explains and Ty Lee pouts her lips faintly. "You see, choices may look different on the outside, or be phrased in a way that makes you feel better about yourself, but are still the same decision."

Ty Lee contemplates that for a moment, but thinks that it is just an argument against free will even existing. Or, at least, free will for anyone other than the man at the top.

"I guess. What happens when I put on the handcuffs?" Ty Lee whispers and her soon-to-be father-in-law examines her with an amused smile.

"Well, I make sure you are the bride you deserve to be. Or, the one my daughter deserves. I think it would be quite impressive if I could make a famous rebel into a glamorous decoration." And with that, Ty Lee's eyes wide and lips parted in shock, he leaves her.

Ty Lee just gazes after him, her worst fears confirmed.

"I..." Ty Lee is not sure.

"Listen, I do not care about anyone except for my family. Mai, Azula," Ozai says and Ty Lee doubts he includes Zuko. "You are soon going to be my family, and, therefore, I will look out for you. You're still young, and I know your type. Drawn to forbidden people and impossible causes."

Ty Lee's mouth is dry. That is... _true_.

"Impossible causes?" Ty Lee asks very softly.

"The rebellion. It was romantic to you, I'm sure. And maybe you felt forced, since your situation wasn't pleasant and the protectorates seem to have forgotten their roots and who _protects _them." Ozai pauses and Ty Lee wants to scream out that 'protecting' seems to be 'starving to death in safety' but she lies back and listens. "My daughter is appealing to you because she is the Monster of the West and you want that."

Ty Lee does agree. "I know."

"Giving yourself away to those causes means you don't have to choose. Being attracted to people who are so driven means you don't have to figure out how to drive yourself." He is so cold, so analytical. Ty Lee hates being ripped to shreds and revealed like this. "Leave that cause behind, and take up this one. You're not a fan of free will."

He is gone before Ty Lee can tell him that he is wrong.

She can tell him that the rebellion has _meaning _to her. But maybe it doesn't.

Maybe it doesn't because right now Ty Lee's head is splitting, and she is thinking about the executions coming up. She is thinking about how blissful her date with Azula was, and how pretty the Monster of the West is. She is thinking about how Tiger's Bride was handed to her, and the Blue Spirit is here.

Ty Lee might be better off as a trophy wife than a rebel.

It might... be relieving.

She always did dream of a world of glamour and luxury, of love and stability. The ability to relax and think only about make-up and interesting conversation and love was one of the things she fought for. Ty Lee was willing to soak the land with blood in order to be able to have that life instead of the harsh one the protectorates offered.

Happily ever after is something different to everyone, but Ty Lee imagined her happily ever after being collecting seashells in the sun, going shopping, cuddling in a warm home while it rains, kissing someone she loves whenever she wants. That could only come by fighting for the rebellion.

But while Ty Lee fought so everyone could have their happily ever after and be free, her perfect life is offered here, without the pain and violence.

A thousand corpses is not how Ty Lee wants to achieve her happily ever after.

Ty Lee closes her eyes and decides she needs more time.

[X]

A refreshed Ty Lee wakes up to the sunlight pouring through her window.

Her protectorate was fairly grey, mostly from the smog. But sometimes, it would clear, and there would be beautiful stars at night. The sun, whether homey or not, is very reassuring.

She feels much better than she did after first waking from the poison, save for a dry mouth and an aching stomach. Slowly, Ty Lee pushes herself up and walks to her bathroom, a place of her own. A room of her own.

Ty Lee thinks about how advantageous this position is. Her father thought so, her mother definitely thinks so. And she also looks at the beautiful floral soaps and when she strips her clothes off, she examines her body.

She has to admit she is truly fortunate to look this good without clothes on. Then, rubbing her lips together, she moves her hand to touch her own breast. It isn't odd; she likes the feeling. Maybe touching Azula would not be as uncomfortable as Ty Lee feels.

But still, Ty Lee cannot imagine the sex. Nor does she want to.

Right now, she just wants to try to embrace the brighter side of this new life. Of the handcuff decision. Every cloud has a silver lining, and Ty Lee will find it here. Maybe just the fact that these soaps smell wonderful and the water is very fresh. That on its own.

If it is the last thing she does, Ty Lee will force herself to be happy in her new life.

When she walks to the breakfast table, Azula is already there, Mai with her. Azula looks up at Ty Lee and finds something odd about the way she looks. Father said she was exhausted, and Azula did check up on her, fast asleep in her room.

She looked beautiful in bed, and Azula had brief fantasies about what it would be like to own that beautiful body. But she stifled them in order to focus on more important things.

"I'm glad you're awake now," Azula purrs, carefully watching Ty Lee's response. She gets a warm smile and takes that as a good sign. "I was worried you'd miss the celebration tomorrow."

"What's being celebrated tomorrow?" Ty Lee asks feebly and Azula narrows her eyes. She must know why her fiancee is acting so strangely, but she just focuses on her fruit.

"My sixteenth birthday," Mai replies dryly and Ty Lee is unsure how she is supposed to react.

She has to admit she is somewhat disturbed by the fact that her soon-to-be mother-in-law is younger than her, if only by a sliver. Azula is not bothered, even though she was angry at her father when he first declared he was marrying Mai.

Azula starved, silenced and did many other acts of defiance before he confronted her. Told her about the importance of an heir, and Azula became very dead set on acquiring a wife of her own. She loathed the idea of just watching, and Mai and father's baby becoming Fire Lord after her.

Which is why Azula needs to make sure Ty Lee behaves and all goes according to plan.

"M-mine was a week or two before I came here," Ty Lee offers weakly, before gulping and feeling so clueless. So _helpless_. "I had a lot of fun."

_Because I was carefree even when fighting with the rebels. Because my friends threw me a pretty party and I kissed that hot soldier boy..._

"I honestly don't care. Birthdays are just a reminder of mortality and being showered with gifts I hate and having to pretend that I like them," Mai continues, still with such _distaste_. Ty Lee has no idea what to make of her, and that makes Ty Lee increasingly nervous.

This new family will be hers. There is no turning back. But she does not understand them, or their ways. And she certainly is perturbed by her mother-in-law being younger than her.

"We'll probably just go out to dinner," Azula says and that is something Ty Lee is afraid of.

The three of them. Ty Lee, and the three of them. Not surrounded by well-wishers and lights.

Just the three of them plus Ty Lee.

Ty Lee loves parties; she does not love the idea of being isolated.

Azula, however, is very eager to have a family dinner with Ty Lee. It will further reel her in on the line Azula has hooked in her.

All the same, Azula spends the day with Ty Lee, still unable to figure out just what is off about her. They play board games and Azula wonders if Ty Lee is just bad at them or if she is letting Azula win. Either way, the princess is content in the sunny afternoon.

In the afternoon, they come close to kissing and Azula wants to yank Ty Lee back _hard _when she tries to pull away.

But Azula restrains herself. Honestly, she should get some credit for the things she does not say or do.

That evening, they wind up talking. It is raining and Azula sits by the window, draped in a crimson blanket. Ty Lee joins her quite happily and Azula hands her the second cup of tea.

"This is the perfect day," Ty Lee says brightly and Azula sees no lie on her face. "Did you like it?"

"Yes," Azula says coolly, gazing out of the window. "I don't dislike getting to know you. I mean, I want to know you."

Ty Lee blinks. "Well, I'm not really much to write home about. I assumed you wanted to marry me because I'm very pretty."

"How do you know?" Azula purrs, although she likes Ty Lee's confidence about that. She is very attractive, even mussed from the day and half asleep.

"Because I do." Ty Lee then does hesitate. "I guess it's in the eye of the beholder, though."

"Right." Silence. "I don't care much if people are pretty. I care how useful they are to me, and what talents they have. Well, I suppose I'd care if they were pretty if their specialty was sex, but I'm a strategist through and through."

"I love pretty things." Ty Lee smiles softly and reclines. Yes, yes this is her happily ever after, even if the story isn't over yet. Sitting here and not having to think too much, just to rest and look at rain, sip tea and let someone else spark conversation.

"Yes, but if you were given a choice between a pretty blade that was dull and useless, and a sharp but ugly one, and had to fight a dragon, which would you choose?" Azula asks curiously.

Ty Lee looks queasy when Azula asks, and the princess is not sure why.

"Yeah. The ugly one, I guess."

"Therefore, choosing to marry someone who is pretty but lacking in anything useful, is about as smart as choosing an arsenal of fake floral print weapons and armor and assuming you'll be fine in a battle." Azula takes another sip of tea. It is truly her opinion, although she thinks beauty has incredible merit when coupled with intelligence or talent.

"I'm just pretty. Unless you're talking about my parents having three sets of twins which means I'm probably pretty fertile." Ty Lee does not even look disappointed, and Azula wonders if she does not seek the princess's validation.

_That _disturbs Azula. The most useful fear of Azula is not fear of her wrath or lightning; it is the fear of being rejected by her, the need to bend to her and be validated. Everyone feels that way. If her _wife _were to not...

"You've shown me some of your tricks. And I'm very well aware of the fact that the Imperial Army requested you be trained as an elite operative, but you inexplicably turned them down and joined the circus instead," Azula says as she leans back against the cool glass.

Ty Lee's lips part in surprise and Azula waits quite patiently.

"I guess I didn't think you..." Ty Lee's cheeks flush light pink.

Azula smirks, amused by this. "Didn't think I would look into you at all before being wed to you?"

"Do you know about...?" Ty Lee trails off. If Azula does know that she is a rebel, it is probably best that they do not say it aloud.

"About?" Azula cocks an eyebrow. She has no idea that Ty Lee is a rebel, as Ozai found it inconvenient to tell her.

"About any of my past romances?" Ty Lee offers and Azula just smirks and leans back. "I think you're amazingly beautiful, and obviously you're good at a lot of other things too and really smart and..."

Azula just rolls her golden eyes and smiles. A girl very used to copious, honest compliments.

"I know." They watch the rainfall turn into a storm, and Ty Lee is in a dreamy daze, not just from the chamomile tea.

She forgets, for a little while, that happily ever after _should _come with a cost.

And this one absolutely will.

[X]

Azula wakes up and immediately goes to collect her gifts. For you see, Ozai is uncomfortable not abetting his daughter as well as his wife. Like some kind of animal kingdom nonsense. But Azula does admit she likes it, even if material goods have very little meaning to a princess.

Mai is already sitting there, surrounded by gifts she quite halfheartedly opens. Nothing impresses her, and that entertains Azula.

"So, do you have anything good?" Azula asks with a teasing smirk. She finds her own gift, wrapped in the slim red paper that is traditional in the Fire Nation.

She opens it to find a necklace. Not the most creative of her father's gifts, and it will wind up discarded, but it is pretty. It shines nicely in the light, golden chain with endless, perfect rubies like drops of blood dripping from a neck.

Ty Lee arrives last, looking sleepy and jostled but still well put together. Azula looks up at her, and then at the necklace.

"This would look good on you," Azula says sweetly and Mai watches in detached interest. Ty Lee sees the necklace and her eyes light up at the beautiful jewels.

She sits and allows Azula to drape it over her neck and clasp it.

"Thank you," Ty Lee says sweetly, her eyes still glittering. She likes the sight of presents, even if they are for Mai.

"You have a gift too," Azula says casually, gesturing towards it.

Ty Lee's hands reach out fast to it and Azula smirks, pleased by it. The acrobat very excitedly unwraps it, but her thrilled expression immediately fades and turns into one of disgust.

"Is it like a severed ear?" Mai asks from behind the tower of presents.

It is worse. It is so much worse than a severed ear.

Ty Lee looks at the watch, and knows immediately who it belongs to, even before she turns it over to read the inscription. It is ─ _was _─ her father's. Her father, who was killed as soon as Ty Lee left for Caldera.

Azula sees it instantly. This watch is not a tacky antique; it is certainly from Ty Lee's past. And Azula knows immediately that she needs to speak with her father, but she can see that Ty Lee is speechless and likely about to devolve into treason.

"It's just a bit ugly," Azula says to Mai, and the Fire Lady is satisfied, or, at least, does not care.

Ty Lee looks at Azula gratefully, and the princess revels in the sensation of the fishing hook at last latching onto Ty Lee's lip.

Now all Azula must do is pull her in.

[X]

"Father," Azula demands, walking into his office uninvited. "What did you give Ty Lee?"

"Her gift was a reminder," Ozai says very calmly and Azula does not accept that answer. "A reminder of the fact that her old family is gone, and she is ours now. She is yours now."

They lock eyes. Azula nods slowly in approval. She does agree with most of her father's methods and intentions, but she thought she was making plenty of progress with Ty Lee. Progress that was pleasurable, and _almost _made Azula feel like a real teenager dating someone instead of a weapon of war.

"I have no problem with that. But I would deeply appreciate your trust that I can assimilate her into our family," Azula says crisply, straightening her shoulders.

"Show me, then. At dinner tonight. I'm sure you two are itching for a fancier date than sitting around the palace," Ozai says calmly and Azula purses her lips.

She is not sure what his words mean, but she does trust and love him.

That is enough for her.

[X]

The dinner is extravagant, even by Azula's standards. But her father is detached and distant as Fire Lord, and therefore makes up for it with grand gestures like these. Ty Lee walks close to Azula, but the princess is _actually _biting on her tongue when she sees her father resting his hand gently on Mai's waist.

It isn't of jealousy; Azula and Mai have not been together in over a week and Azula is not missing it too strongly. It is of _envy_; Azula does not know why Ty Lee, whom Azula has been properly courting, does not walk with her like that.

Ty Lee would notice that Azula wants her to make a move, but she is far too distracted by the watch. The watch that she is wearing like a pendant, and it brushes against her heart with every movement. This would be sentimental, if it were not for the fact that she knows it was taken from his executed corpse.

Azula walks smoothly to the private room. It is peaceful and well decorated, with both water and fire fountains to create a rather pleasing cross of sounds. She can feel her date ease slightly as they sit down in the very calm room, across from the Fire Lord and Fire Lady.

There is something oddly disturbing to Ty Lee about Mai and Ozai. She cannot place a finger on it. The age difference is significant, but Ty Lee's sister was married off at fourteen to a man in his thirties, and she knew a girl in her protectorate who was married and pregnant at fourteen.

It is not unusual, but this family is unusual. Perhaps it was walking to see a small, expressionless girl obscured by a pile of gifts, perhaps it was how his hand slips on her side, when before, Ty Lee had seen very little physical contact between them, and just occasional conversation.

No. Ty Lee suddenly realizes it. It is not the fact that he looks at Mai with the eyes of a man who knows he will be fucking her later, and she does not seem to like that leer. It is the fact that Ty Lee is unnerved by Ozai and Mai because of the closeness, because of the seeming respect, and because Ty Lee does not know if she can ever be that with Azula.

It is fairly sad that Ty Lee's relationship goals are_ that_.

Ozai respects Mai to a strange level, despite how he has tormented Ty Lee over the past two days, with reckless disregard for his daughter. And the physicality seems so _easy _to Mai, who must not have ever had the strong desire to bed a man over twice her age. It is how Ty Lee feels about one day having sex with another woman.

But Mai does it with ease. Azula glances again and again at Ty Lee, expecting _more _from her. The princess is very concerned about the fact that Ty Lee has yet to be fully consumed by Azula, especially after their sweet afternoon and evening by the window. Azula is perfect and irresistible.

Ty Lee, to Azula, is clearly a sweet, complacent butterfly. And so Azula does not understand why they both sit so _cluelessly _in the restaurant. Azula knows very little about romance, but she does slide her hand to Ty Lee's bare knee, hoping for _something_. Princess Azula _wants _her, and Azula always gets what she wants.

Unfortunately, Azula has never learned about flirting. She learned far more about evading and emasculating those who desired her than how to act around someone that she desires.

The dinner is awkward beyond belief. But Azula manages to remain cold and composed, and she hopes that it counts for something.

[X]

"So, your fiancee looked less enthused than me tonight. And she's like disgustingly happy all the time," Mai remarks to Azula as they at last arrive back at the palace.

Ty Lee is out of earshot, hopping out of her shoes. Azula smirks at it before quickly looking away and remembering to be disinterested.

"I wish you could stay with me," Azula murmurs to Mai, finding herself thinking far too much about her occasional girlfriend or sorts.

"Well, nobody wants to be alone on a night like this," Mai says slowly and Azula knows she is just being mocked.

It is, honestly, fairly unpleasant that Mai is perfectly content to go to bed with Azula's father, but Ty Lee struggles when Azula even touches her bare knee. There is no possible world in which this is fair, as much as Azula wants to be patient and not hurt her future bride.

A future bride who already is hiding something from Azula. The princess pretends not to see how Ty Lee has been since she opened her gift, mostly for her own protection. But Azula feels the need to make _some _progress with Ty Lee.

Ty Lee feels the same way, but with much more dread in her gut.

[X]

In the shadowy corridors of the palace, Ty Lee asks softly, "Do you want to share a bed tonight?"

Azula can see the romantic look on Ty Lee's face, but she cannot see if it is meant in a sexual or simply intimate way. The princess supposes she will have to find out, which is a distasteful idea to her.

"Fine," Azula says coldly and wonders if that is the wrong move. Her palms are sweating as they walk into her bedroom, and Azula cannot explain how _she _feels so nervous.

Ty Lee sits down on the end of Azula's bed, gazing up at her. Azula can see her cracked lips, her concern, but also the strong desire in her.

"Do you want to...?" Ty Lee doesn't know why she can't just say _sex_.

Ty Lee knows how much Azula wants it. It is not very well concealed.

"I know I promised not to force you, and I mean that," Azula says slowly as she examines Ty Lee. The frustration makes Azula only feel shame; she should be better than this. She is the destroyer of worlds, and her petty sixteen year old hormones are making her act like a fool.

"Mhm." Ty Lee looks at her with those enticingly innocent eyes.

"A sample. Can we maybe..." Azula suddenly realizes she does not know the word. And then she feels her heart pulsating, and before she can light something on fire, Ty Lee understands what she meant.

The Monster of the West knows many things, but apparently not the phrase _making out_. Ty Lee finds that a bit endearing, even if this concept makes her stomach churn a little. But it won't hurt anyone, and Azula is thrilled by it.

At last. At last. They are on Azula's bed, although Azula doubts they will wind up between the sheets, and Ty Lee's lips move first. Bold for her, but Azula likes the initiative. It makes it easier; Azula does not have to hesitate when she takes hold, her sharp fingernails digging into Ty Lee's back and trapping her there.

It is a bit awkward, they both do realize, until thing escalate past very hesitant and vanilla exploration. Azula feels Ty Lee sliding between her legs, rising there and the heat could melt the South Pole. Their lips burn now, as they cease the cautious, trying kisses and wind up just dragging lines of desire across each other's skin.

Azula thinks that she has her, she _most certainly _has her, and her hands wander slowly away from holding Ty Lee and move across her skin. The cold and heat makes Ty Lee's skin prickle as she feels Azula pushing her down and sliding her fingers up, over sensitive ribs, and to rest on Ty Lee's breasts. There is a rather peculiar sensation for Ty Lee, of the hardening, of the _wanting _but also the _confusion_ as she feels long dark hair against her neck, Azula leaning much further into it and taking far more liberties and Ty Lee likes the pressure at first.

Princess Azula thinks that this is the best thing she may have ever felt or tasted. Maybe because it was withheld from her, or maybe she is just thrilled to have this stunningly beautiful woman forever as hers and hers alone.

Ty Lee only resists when Azula starts to roll down her pretty silk panties and her fingers brush lower. That is when Azula suddenly finds the hands she was enjoying caressing her body forcing her off as if she is some kind of _assailant_.

"I'm sorry," Ty Lee whispers, sitting up and not knowing what to do or say.

Azula stares at her, analyzing bitterly. She digs her nails into the blankets, still able to feel the lingering, perfect touch like a very warm and insistent ghost.

"What is wrong with me in your eyes?" Azula snarls and Ty Lee looks afraid. And _Azula likes _that Ty Lee is afraid, and that Azula is like her old self, the self she is much more comfortable with than the one she has become around Ty Lee. "_What_? I am perfect. I am beyond anything you could ever achieve but you're repulsed."

Ty Lee looks at her, shaking, and Azula does not care until she has her answer.

"I'm so..." Ty Lee is just ashamed. She is so ashamed that she cannot bring herself to do this. It will feel _good_, she is certain. But the idea of it is so off-putting, the sensation of Azula's breasts pressing against hers not nearly as arousing as it is supposed to be.

Not nearly as arousing as Azula finds it.

"What?"

"I'm not lying when I say it's my fault. There's something wrong with me." Ty Lee's eyes swim with tears, and then they burst from her.

Azula slowly sits up and eases. The throbbing prompting her desire to torture an answer out of her sweet bride fading once the howls of sadness and agony ring out.

"There isn't..." Azula slowly breathes in and out. "Well, yes, clearly you have something wrong if you didn't want me. _Me _touching you like that. But I am set on marrying you, and I will fix you."

_Fix you_.

_Make you love me._

Phrases that Azula means, and that Ty Lee finds incredibly romantic and appealing.

"I would..." Ty Lee admits softly. "I would... I would try more. Now. If you... guide me."

_If you overpower me and maybe tie me up in your sheets..._

Azula examines Ty Lee closely, searching for a lie. She sees the gleam of a girl who wants to be dominated, and, well, Azula cannot admit that she thinks she might have found a perfect match. Ty Lee thinks that it is because she is so tired of having to choose and take responsibility for what she has done to herself and her life.

If Azula forces her, if Azula owns her, then Ty Lee will not have to worry anymore.

Ty Lee accepts Azula moving back towards her. The kisses are good, and Ty Lee has no felt that kind of touch in a long time, even if she would rather it be from a boy. Azula does realize that Ty Lee wants no invasion of any kind from Azula, and the princess does not think that this willingness in Ty Lee will last very long if Azula forces her onto her knees.

Azula kisses her navel, not liking how cautious she feels right now. She is a person who pursues her own desires at all costs, but she thinks her desire is for the undying _trust _of her loyal wife, and not the cheap rush of a night of pleasure.

"I don't know about..." Ty Lee then purses her lips and Azula sits up very slowly.

"Tell me what you want. Make up your mind," Azula says coldly, losing her patience but not her composure, and Ty Lee swallows.

"I want you to completely own me," Ty Lee replies breathily and she thinks she might be very honest right now.

And that thought, that thought about the Monster of the West, is terrifying.

"Our desires align. I don't need sex very much." Azula _wants _to portray that about herself. A machine, a _machine _of war, but she is also sixteen and her hormones surge and right now she does not know what she is even supposed to do. "But I do want you to be mine."

Ty Lee moves very gently towards Azula. This is the first step, the first step to becoming what she thinks she _wants _to be. It can't be that difficult; it probably will be very pleasurable, given how much she did like being touched.

And as Ty Lee bites down on her lower lip in contemplation of how she is supposed to initiate, Azula seizes control. Their lips collide, and Azula has her pinned again, this time without the gentle care. Azula has decided that Ty Lee has made her choice, and they will follow through.

The princess kisses her navel again, and dips lower. Ty Lee moves towards her, thoroughly engrossed in this.

It feels ecstatic, and while Ty Lee is not quite sure how to reciprocate, Azula guides her through it without a misstep.

When Ty Lee rises from her knees and sits down on the lap of the disheveled but satisfied woman clinging to her, she feels safe for the very first time since moving to Caldera.

Azula's arms feel right.

Even if Ty Lee feels insistent pangs of regret and confusion, she has no regrets about giving in and letting go of her need to choose.

Choices are not what Ty Lee wants; she intends to love Azula, because Azula means complete freedom from the horror Ty Lee is facing.

Loving Azula will let her just be a butterfly that flows whichever way the wind decides for her.

* * *

A/N: So, I've introduced a lot of plot points and concepts in these chapters, and while I had ten chapters written when I began posting, that has completely changed. There was just so much more of this story that was begging me to be told. I starting adding chapters to it almost two months ago, but I wasn't sure if I had a full story, so I didn't mention it, but now I have a very certain 40ish chapters and an outline of a plot I'm really happy with and excited to share.


	8. The Lady or the Tiger Monkey?

**Chapter Eight: **The Lady or the Tiger-Monkey?

* * *

Katara is debating giving up hope at the moment she and her two friends come across an actual town.

The settlement floats in the middle of a lake with water so brown and acidic looking that the waterbender wonders if this will be as much as a dead end as the past pinpoints on the map she, her brother and his girlfriend have visited.

This part of the Fire Nation is a dried up, used and forgotten landscape that looks even worse than the Colony Kingdom is said to be.

Quietly, Suki inquires, "Should we stop here?"

Her feet are sore and she would do anything to rest, but this village makes her uneasy. The dirty reeds ripple in the wind, and their whistling is the only sound, until Katara decides to speak.

"Let's just check it for signs of life. We're not doing so great at walking through deserted places." Katara takes a deep breath, and the air makes her break into a coughing fit.

Sokka frowns, wanting to help her, but feeling powerless. So he just marches down off of their perch, the two girls following him, and they walk as casually as three filthy, suspicious looking teenagers can to the rotted docks. There _is _a ferry, surprisingly enough. And an actual human running it, despite the fact that he does not say a word.

Once they set foot on the docks, it becomes evident that it is a sleepy town, consisting of solely houseboats and a few wooden supports. It probably was idyllic in its prime, before the Fire Nation ran out of resources and decided to devour everywhere else. No one seems to have any energy, and exhaustion is clearly the norm.

There is such evident illness, starvation, dark stains and ceaseless pollution. Katara had thought that the inhospitable water, the decaying buildings and destruction all were just contained within the ghost towns to the west. But there are people living here.

"I wish the Fire Nation could see this," Katara whispers as she glances around at the pain and misery. "Do you think any of them would look and... understand?"

Sokka shakes his head. "No. They're on top so they want to ignore all of this."

"I doubt they _know_." Suki cannot stop reiterating that. "It isn't their fault, is the thing. I heard nobody is even allowed to leave Caldera, except maybe some really deceiving trips to the Colony Kingdom."

And Sokka cannot stomach that thought. Maybe he does not want to be on the wrong side, or maybe he just doesn't want to think about how hard his task is. "They might be misled, but that just means for generations they believe _this _is right. It's not their fault that they're evil, but there's no stopping it now."

Suki doesn't bother anymore, but Katara seems to somehow maintain _optimism_.

"Zuko was good," Katara states, shaking her head. "Other people could be too."

"Zuko got burned in the face and kicked out of the Fire Nation paradise," Sokka snaps and Katara narrows her eyes at him.

Suki, actually self-aware, glances around and makes sure that nobody notices those two shouting about being in the rebellion as loudly as they can.

"The Water Tribe was like that too. We didn't know anything, and all of this is shocking for a _reason_." Katara does not have a follow up statement, and she just starts walking across the creaking boards.

As they uneasily look for somewhere _not _closed. There are people, signs of life, trash fluttering across the docks, _but _it had been empty, until people start arriving. Katara glances around, unable to take in or comprehend the sight as the town fills for no obvious reason, and the trio glances around, shocked.

"The shift at the factory just closed," remarks a woman staring at them.

She gestures loosely into the distance, and Katara feels her gut twist when she sees what has poisoned this place.

* * *

The brutality of choices was not invented by Fire Lord Ozai, although he had no qualms about embracing the barbarism of his forefathers. As Ty Lee contemplates just what choice was made to land her here, Ty Lee is lying on bed with Azula, wondering if she should search for her clothes and leave or not.

In her thoughts, she remembers a dumb parable that she learned in school. She thought, as a girl, that it had no weight in reality. Or at least Ty Lee _thought _before she had a firsthand glimpse about the beloved illusion of choice here.

The Fire Lord, long before Sozin, had a daughter, a very beautiful one, and she had an affair with a man far below her class. After he found out, he decided to offer them both mercy. Behind one door was a half starved tiger-monkey, and behind the other was a beautiful woman of his same class.

Well, he told his daughter which was which, and she told her lover.

It seems very simple. The commoner man will choose the door with the woman.

_But _it is _not _a simple two choices, because it also depends on the honesty of the princess. If she did not want her lover to marry another, she could easily misguide him. There are more choices, more directions it could take if you account for more factors.

Nothing is just black and white. And Ty Lee _hates _a world like that. She just wants to choose between the pretty woman and the tiger-monkey, and nothing more.

Ty Lee looks up with Azula after those spiraling thoughts about a forgotten story. The princess looks so peaceful, and Ty Lee wonders if she trusts her fiancee. Perhaps Azula has no reason to mistrust her, the way her father does. The way her friends now will, if she even has any friends left alive.

The sensations and mixed up feelings within her feel _wrong_. It was wonderful at the time, the sex, but now she realizes that she and Azula were doing it for two very different reasons. That they do not, and will never, feel the same way at the same time.

Ty Lee realizes that the nasty feeling is _guilt_. Because Azula had no ulterior motive, even thought she is the one who is serpentine, she is the one who conquers and brutalizes and manipulates. But it is Ty Lee who used her, and used her desire for...

No desire is worth doing that to someone, and this is coming from a girl who seduced her way onto both sides of a silent war.

Maybe Ty Lee is too sweet and thinks the best in people too often. Maybe Azula would have just taken it for her own gain at some point, and Azula is worse than she is, like she _should _be.

No, no. Ty Lee will find a shred of humanity in Azula, because she could see last night that even if she was a person who detached herself entirely, she _was _a person. Not a weapon. A person, and Ty Lee decides at this moment that she is going to seek that out and draw it out of her.

People do not exist in duality. Azula is not an idea...

And so Ty Lee has reason and purpose to do this. Even if it does nothing beneficial for anyone, to find the person within the monster would be worth... something. _Something _feels worth it, even though Ty Lee knows that giving herself that goal is just a trap.

It is a nice trap though.

Ty Lee closes her eyes again instead of running away.

She thinks she has decided that she will surrender and choose this new life, no matter what it brings.

It might go against everything she has ever been taught, but there are worse choices she could make.

[X]

They wake up together and almost feel like a married couple. Ty Lee gets ready, and Azula does, and they do not exchange a single word despite all that they shared last night. Azula allows Ty Lee to accompany her through the day, and Ty Lee has nothing better to do.

Azula has a routine; Ty Lee does not.

Therefore, Azula finds herself with someone literally at her heels for a significant portion of the day. It would be bothersome, and alright it _is _bothersome, but she does not ever have company. Azula does not like to be spoken to, looked at directly in the eyes, or being within a few feet of others.

Ty Lee cannot help but comment on everything from what clouds look like to asking way too many questions (although none of them are personal, which earns her a few points), she does meet Azula's eyes and the princess would not care _horribly_ since Mai and father both do, but Ty Lee apologizing every single time, but then looking right up again and then apologizing again is so infuriating that Azula is the one to avert her eyes now. And the closeness...

Alright, Azula likes the closeness.

The princess is now training, and she looks beautiful to Ty Lee with the lightning reverberating through her skin. Every time Azula stops, Ty Lee tries to strike up conversation by asking series of questions. She is in the midst of one right now.

"So, do you have ginseng?" Ty Lee asks.

"Yes." Azula hopes this will be over soon. That she will not have to brutally put an end to it and upset this clearly frail girl.

"Passionflower?"

"Yes."

"Chamomile?"

"We have all of the same teas here! Most of them actually _come from _the Colony Kingdom!"

Ty Lee is silent.

"Mmm. Okay. I never really paid attention to the exports, really. I was, uh, not... the word for not paying attention..."

"Attentive."

"I guess." Ty Lee shrugs. "So how good is your aim with lightning."

"Do you want to find out?"

"Why are you so angry?" Pause. "Are you upset about last night?" Ty Lee whispers, and Azula actually turns to face her.

"Why would I be? That's nothing at all to be upset about," Azula replies casually, although her heart nearly jumped out of her mouth when Ty Lee mentioned last night.

She honestly wishes Ty Lee continued listing every single type of tea.

"I'm sorry I was so indecisive."

"It didn't bother me." Azula means that. She just could not shake the sensation that Ty Lee was very indecisive and an honorable person would realize that meant she probably didn't want to be doing it.

"It didn't bother me either," Ty Lee says passionately, even if she is unsure of the truth. "We..."

"Won't until our wedding if you want. It doesn't matter to me." Azula does mean that. There is a rush in controlling and conquering people, but manipulation and conquest are only fulfilling when they are a means to a useful end. Doing that for base desire makes her feel _flawed_.

Human desires are shameful, but the desires of deities are well worth fighting for.

"I'm a bit..." Ty Lee blushes. "I'm a bit thrown off by how accommodating you're being. Not that I don't think you are, but I just am not really sure what to think about that. Am I not, am I not..."

_Good enough for you to beg for like every boy I've been with_, Ty Lee wishes she could voice.

"Patience is very important for a good leader. It is impatience that began the war we are still reeling from. We took too much too greedily ─ or so my ancestors did ─ and then took some more. And well, war provides for every man, whether through victory or death." Azula does recall that quote from some dull essay or book long ago, and it is one of the few she recalls.

"Yeah..." Ty Lee has zero patience.

"Impulsive decisions and inability to wait result in mistakes, of course, not that my grandfathers made mistakes, but I will do better than them. I refuse to make a single error." Azula sits down and Ty Lee thinks she should definitely slide off of the stone bench to be on her level, or below it, but she does not want to seem too obvious either.

"I believe you don't ever fuck up," Ty Lee admits, because she _does_. "Your family is disturbingly perfect."

Azula waits for a second, contemplating the right reply.

"With closets as spacious as the ones in this palace, we have room for more skeletons than most," Azula says breathily and Ty Lee stares at her for too long.

She returns to her training, and, as Azula predicted, Ty Lee does not jabber on and on like she has been all day.

[X]

It becomes quite clear that, due to today being the day before mass executions, everyone is trying to keep Ty Lee busy and occupied.

Her suspicion is confirmed when Ozai invites Ty Lee to lunch, and she really hopes she doesn't have to choose anything more than what sauce on her noodles. He looks at her with that sickening glance of someone pretending to be good and looking out for you, but really waiting to stab a dagger in and twist for the fun of it.

"How have you been settling in?" he inquires and she slowly sits down. She does bow, then change her mind, and winds up nearly smashing her nose on the table.

"Good," Ty Lee says, deciding to stick to smiles, batting her eyelashes and one word replies.

"If there is anything you want or need, ask and you shall receive," he says and Ty Lee bites her lip and nods. That seems fair. "This doesn't have any ulterior motives, aside from getting your perspective. The wedding is approaching very soon and you'll be busy with the planning, I'm sure."

Ty Lee nods. "I'll be choosing bouquets, huh?"

Oh, this is why she should not be allowed to talk. Oh, she could not have said anything worse.

But he brushes it off. "You shared a bed with her last night."

"I, uh, are you... I wouldn't, do, sex things with your daughter..."

"Well, why not? Is there something wrong with her?" he asks and Ty Lee has no clue if he is kidding or not.

"No. I, we did... yeah, last night, but it wasn't anything major..." Ty Lee is blushing so furiously that she feels as if she just caught fire.

"I don't mind either way, so long as you don't make her change her mind. She has over so many girls, so many beautiful ones," Ozai comments and Ty Lee is so unsure what he means. "You are clearly very afraid, but you only have to listen to me until Azula unravels those red scarves."

"Oh," Ty Lee says softly, but she thinks Azula just becomes an intermediary between Ozai's will.

Azula told her that night, the first night they did share a bed, and nothing happened, that Ozai had fixated his reign on _unifying _and _cleansing _the Colony Kingdom. That he was afraid of how strong they had become, and how the tyrants there had forgotten that they were under the same flag.

She spoke, as she often does, like she would to a crowd, spinning awful words that mean _war _and _brutality _and _slavery _into something that sounds like a good idea.

"As her wife, you will live to serve her, and will not have to worry at all about what you want. My daughter is selfish and disinterested, but I don't believe she would actively hurt you." Pause. She says nothing and he does not blame her. "I don't want to be your enemy. In fact, quite the opposite. You prove that the people of the Protectorates can be redeemed and civilized. You interested me due to all of those marriage contracts that fell through because you ran from them, because you joined the circus, and decided to help the rebellion..."

Ty Lee gazes at her food. "I obviously cut those ties."

"That isn't proven until tomorrow morning. Depending on how that goes, I will welcome you into my family with open arms," Ozai says calmly. "My wife was meant to take your role, but she... didn't have that _influence_, those gorgeous eyes and the way people become infatuated with you so easily. That cute little laugh, always looking like you're having fun."

"Well that's _true_," Ty Lee squeaks. She remembers going through the streets, handing out _flowers_ and charming the men. Everyone always did want to be like she was. If she wore pink ribbons suddenly everyone in the Protectorate did.

Which is why the rebels liked her so much. She could make suicide missions sound appealing, and Ty Lee is starting to feel very queasy when she sees that Ozai is using her the same way that her own dad did.

"Of course," he says and then Ty Lee is stunned that he goes into revealing why Mai did not work for the aims he has with Ty Lee. "My wife was from the colonies. She was born there."

"How did she get out?" Ty Lee is relieved that she voices it as if the Colony Kingdom is something to be escaped, and he seems to approve of that.

"She went to school here, after accepting the offer for elite military training. Talented, talented girl. I met her through my daughter; they worked together and Azula was impressed by her. They were dating, it turned out."

"W..." Ty Lee is not sure if she is saying _what, why _or _when_, but all of them apply.

"It was cute. You think I don't know they're together behind my back? If it bothered me there would be severe repercussions. You wouldn't do that to my daughter, would you?"

"No. Nope. No, no, no," Ty Lee stammers. Oh, Ty Lee hopes she does not protest too much.

"She was in a similar predicament."

Ty Lee blanches. "What kind?"

"The kind involving attempts to upset the balance in my empire."

"She wouldn't... she doesn't... she doesn't look like a rebel."

"Neither do you." He watches her squirm for a second before continuing. "She wasn't a rebel, unless you count rebelling against her parents. Caldera changes people. It's a very pretty place, very far away from all of those troubles... as long as you follow the rules. Her mother was a traitor, and her father was so loyal it almost disgusted _me_."

"What... happened? If that's not too much." _If that's not the skeletons Azula was talking about._

"Her mother killed her father. Well... not quite. She just took the punishment and blame." His eyes light up as if that is not an awful thing.

Ty Lee does not piece it together, but Ozai thinks she might realize it eventually. She isn't the brightest candle in the bunch.

"Mhm."

He contemplates how to phrase it for a moment. "Parents make choices for their children without meaning to. The kind of person they are, the life they lead, the mistakes they make. Others do it more directly. And my wife did not care either way, unsurprisingly."

Ty Lee does piece it together. "Oh."

"Clearly better to be a queen than a prisoner, don't you think?"

He is not truly talking about Mai.

He is talking about Ty Lee.

"Of course," she squeaks softly, and when he raises his glass, she does not hesitate to return the gesture.

Better a queen than a prisoner...

Same thing, it seems, for Mai.

[X]

Ty Lee wakes on the day of the mass executions feeling as if it were any other day. There is no sinking dread in the pit of her stomach, no grey clouds and no immediate tears. It is another morning, and she even is starting to get more used to her new bedroom here. And she _has _figured out the majority of the knobs and devices.

Today, Fire Lord Ozai will take the first major step to _uniting _the protectorates, as Azula explained when Ty Lee found out her father was dead. That her father had sacrificed himself for her, like Mai's mother did, and Ty Lee just feels so weak.

She is grateful to be ushered into a room and made up to look gorgeous.

From her rather uncomfortable chair, Ty Lee is watching Azula examine the speech she has in hand, as she has been since she finished being decorated.

"I kind of thought you just winged them," Ty Lee manages to remark after her mouth is done being assaulted by lip paint.

Azula smirks. "I do go off script when I feel like it. But the words don't matter; it's how you say them."

Ty Lee nods slowly. She can imagine the pretty words of General Azula destroying cities. It would be a kind of _hot _sort of thing if Ty Lee had not seen how upset the fall of those cities made everyone around her.

"They're good," Ty Lee says with a faint smile, wishing she had a stronger word for it in her vocabulary, and she watches Azula slowly stand up, and tear up the papers. "Why...?"

"Shush," Azula responds before picking the pieces she labored over for so long up, and burning them in beautiful bursts of blue. And then Azula turns to her. "It's a tradition. Or perhaps the mystical source of my speaking powers."

She cocks an eyebrow as Ty Lee gets jabbed by a stylist for laughing, and Azula is gone.

[X]

Ty Lee's mood plummets when she arrives at the gaudy, bright, flashy and overly _gold tinted_ occasion. It seems so happy, but to her, it is agonizing. That feeling of dread that did not exist when she woke up now is stronger than she imagined it could be. She stands while Azula, Ozai and other important looking people are examining the plans for the afternoon. Around her, tons of politicians Ty Lee vaguely recognizes mill about. Azula keeps glancing at her fiancee, unsure what she ought to do about Ty Lee's evident discomfort.

Azula must say something _kind_. She is not sure _how _to do that, but Ty Lee reacted very poorly to what happened to her father. Her friends and mother might be much worse.

"Burning alive is the least painless of our execution types," Azula says quickly as Ty Lee gazes at those lined up for execution and does not see her mother there. "You die from smoke inhalation before you really feel the flames."

Ty Lee swallows and nods. Yeah, Azula may not be the most romantic, but Ty Lee _thinks _she might be trying.

"Princess," says the voice of Councilor Hoang, "may I wish you well?"

Her eyes flicker up to her spy in the court, and she strides over to him as Ty Lee still looks on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"What is it?" Azula asks softly, and he looks her up and down.

"Her mother is not here," he replies and Azula sees no importance in that. "I happen to know a good deal about a certain kind of poison, a certain kind that was administered on a prisoner."

"So, she's dead. What does it matter?" Azula shrugs.

"It's not a deadly poison. It just keeps her very sick." Again, he can see he is being too cryptic even for a smart girl. "A little sparrowkeet told me that she has been ranked more highly in value, and the poison is meant to keep her inhibited and hushed so no one knows."

"She's leverage. In case things go wrong with Ty Lee." Azula is silent as he nods. "He thinks she's a threat."

"Well, of course. I thought you would have noticed that he is bribing her. She's clearly falling for it, which isn't a bad thing, of course. I have loyalty to the Fire Nation, but, well, I like to have my foot in with the heir to the throne..." He leaves and Azula looks over at Ty Lee.

The choice of whether to tell Ty Lee about her mother or not needs time.

[X]

As the event takes off, and the opening _ceremonies _at last cease, Ty Lee looks to her father-in-law. When she is married, she may live to serve Azula, as he says, but right now, he is the one she must appeal to, if she wants to live.

"What... should I do?" Ty Lee asks.

This was much, much easier behind the facade of a performer. Oh, if they asked her to do flips off of the balcony, she would be gleeful. But overseeing a mass execution is worlds away from the circus.

"Just stand and look supportive," Ozai tells her in such a kind voice that she feels queasy. "Go on. Don't look as if you're afraid to touch her."

She steps forward very quietly. Collaborators, he has labeled these people. Ty Lee has heard the rebels use them same word when there is any accidental damage when they did more violent acts. _They were collaborators with the Fire Nation; they deserved it._

And now? Here. The Fire Nation says the same words, but with a more formal accent.

Ty Lee stares very blankly, not knowing if she seems supportive or not. The collaborators are likely people she knows, but they are difficult to see from up here and several steps behind Azula. Princess Azula, the Monster of the West, who looks completely calm as she gazes at the pyre and draws the attention and adoration of the people like a lightning rod.

And perhaps draws Ty Lee to her like a lightning rod as well.

She is beautiful, stunning and Ty Lee is always so uncertain.

Azula finishes and Ty Lee tries not to watch the death that comes next.

Ty Lee looks at her feet, and she hopes that it does not seem like a sound of weakness or defiance.

[X]

The evening consists of another observed date of she and Azula. Ty Lee thinks she does need her mind taken of what happened today, and these very meticulously planned outings tend to keep her busy. And they definitely make it easier to be with Azula; no conversation is required, as they are constantly given activities.

Right now, they are not in the midst of said activities, but have been set loose (in the sight of soldiers) and allowed to go look around at some old, quaint shops.

Any evidence of execution is gone permanently, or so it seems, and Ty Lee tries to forget as well. Even though the rainclouds have come, so belated, but there in the sky all the same. But indecisive over if it should rain or not, as Ty Lee has not felt a single drop on her skin.

They cease walking as Ty Lee hears this beautiful street performer on a long street of very old looking but well-kept shops. This place is beautiful, and it brings a smile to her face.

"I love that music," Ty Lee says and Azula shrugs.

"It isn't for me," the princess admits openly.

"I figured," Ty Lee says with widening grin. "But I want you to know what _I_ like."

Azula contemplates the appropriate reply. Of course, she does not care what anyone else likes, but this seems to be some kind attempt to bring them closer together. And Azula just nods, because the words she has are not the right ones.

Ty Lee examines the shops one by one, poking around inside and sometimes choosing tacking things she might regret, and Azula eyes the clouds coming nearby with the grey and black streaked in them.

It will rain soon.

"You remind me of my uncle when you shop. Ugh, he was so frustrating. I faked stomach aches whenever he took me and my brother to _buy things_," Azula says, rolling her eyes. "He both could not decide on what he wanted, but after talking to himself and examining them, would just buy both options."

Ty Lee giggles. "I've never heard so much about your uncle. Is he still... around?"

"History is written by the winners. He's best forgotten, as he is," Azula says as she looks at an old scroll on the shelf. "My brother is really the only person who had much contact with him after my father overwrote his accomplishments."

Azula did not intend to blurt such a personal thing out. Ty Lee does not feel like talking to a real person. She just absorbs and says polite things and shallow things and Azula just _talks _sometimes, without calculating. At least Ty Lee is her property and she can make sure nothing gets too out of hand.

_Brother_, Ty Lee is fixated on. She wonders if that had anything to do with Zuko's choice punishment.

Choices. Ty Lee thinks for a moment before attempting to strike up conversation. Azula has been much more talkative and less dismissive, mechanical or mocking of late. Maybe it's because Ty Lee slept with her, but she doesn't want to think about that.

"Did you ever read those story things? That were meant to have some kind of moral? Like the Lady and the Tiger-Monkey?" Ty Lee asks softly as she buys a small drink and sips it. Azula thinks for a moment before shaking her head.

"I was bored by most of those. Stories shouldn't have morals. Maybe a message, but not a moral." Azula is not sure why she so strongly believes in that, but she does.

"Right," Ty Lee says and she has no more words.

They flee from the rain, and Azula's eyes linger too long as Ty Lee lingers beneath the arches of the stone buildings.

[X]

In a cold, lonely room in the palace, Azula is shooting lightning at targets, because it is the only thing that calms her mind.

A knock on the door interrupts her, and she allows the last bolt to leave her fingertips and looks up at her father, who has just invited himself in.

He looks severe, and Azula knows that expression; something has gone wrong. It must be in the Colony Kingdom, of course, because they seem to be the sole issue with his regime. Azula hopes they can be resolved before she takes the throne, to be honest.

"I know you have flower arrangements to look at and lightning to shoot at nothing," Ozai says in a nearly desperate tone. Azula narrows her eyes as he continues, "but I need you to go on a brief, elite mission for me. As _General_ Azula."

"I thought I..." Azula hesitates, shaking off her daze. The mission would be a welcome change of pace, although she cannot imagine what it would be that needs _her _attention. "It must be important."

"It is," he states coldly. "There has been... a little more than a disturbance at an invaluable factory province. We've lost any and all contact and last we heard, they were suffering sudden attacks from rebels."

Azula now fully lowers her hands. She knew there were some of them out in the far west, but none had ever posed a problem before. "Rebels, huh? Maybe they got our message early."

"Possibly. Or perhaps this is step one of something much more disturbing. Get ready as soon as you can. Tomorrow at dawn you're leaving," he explains and lingers for a moment.

Princess Azula decimates a target without looking at it, and then goes to figure out what happened.

[X]

Ty Lee is sitting in Azula's room, studying one out of the ten wedding books the planners have shoved at her. More busy-work, but Ty Lee _likes _busy-work in such an intimidating climate as this.

"The wedding planner suggested to have something from my protectorate," Ty Lee rambles on and Azula attempts to listen. But she is not very interested. Unfortunately, Ty Lee picks up on it. "Are you okay?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow at dawn to go investigate a disturbance in a fishing town," Azula says calmly as she lies back on the bed, savoring the brief comfort.

Ty Lee's eyes flutter in confusion as she processes the information.

"You're just leaving me," Ty Lee says in mousy awe. Azula does not know what to say.

"I am. You're with Mai and my father, and you will be fine."

Ty Lee's stomach twists. That is exactly what she was worried about.

And so, she thinks as quickly as she can. "You read up on me. You know I had special training and was selected to go to Caldera. I was ─"

"Moving up fast in the army ─ corporal, I think ─ before you chose not to continue," Azula purrs, trying to brush Ty Lee's request off.

"I know more about the rebels than a lot of people," Ty Lee admits and Azula stiffens. "My father was one... I might be helpful."

Azula purses her lips, engrossed in thought. It would be ridiculous to have Ty Lee accompany her. But, on the other hand, it seems like the perfect test of loyalty... and quite the bonding situation.

"Fine." Azula is not certain if this will turn out well or not.

The truth about her military experience is that everyone is expendable. Anyone can be replaced, no matter how good or specialized they are. Ty Lee, as the only option for her wife that she has ever liked, and has ever gone so far with, is not expendable.

"I won't be a distraction," Ty Lee says honestly, but Azula does not believe her.

On the other hand, she would like to see what she can do.

"Is this about how I said I didn't need just beauty; I needed usefulness?" Azula asks bluntly with no regrets.

Ty Lee looks a bit uncomfortable and says, "No. But I... I just want to be helpful for more than just... Standing there and smiling. Mai is really valuable because she was a soldier, and good at it..."

And then Azula understands. Because their sex only happened because Ty Lee was unsettled by Mai and Azula's father. He does respect her, and, yes it is because he also only keeps things that have a purpose. But Azula likes to think that her father is the kind of man who respects his wife... or at least learned from his mistakes with mother.

"He..." Azula pauses. "Walk with me."

Ty Lee, of course, obeys. Being obedient to Azula feels so much better than her father, because she has this pretty seductive purr and the faux extension of her hand that makes the most brutal of things sound so lovely.

They move down the hallways of the palace, grand corridors, some fixtures dilapidated and poorly fixed, and other things shimmering and grand. It, in a sick way, represents the duality that has built the Fire Nation up from a mere nothing to the sole power in the world.

"Oh," bursts unbidden from Ty Lee's lips as she examines the room Azula has just led her into. It is so beautiful.

Paintings, art. Many of them are from what once was the Earth Kingdom, or the Air Temples that Ty Lee never was sure existed. It is so stunning, not at all gaudy or golden. Just beautiful, beautiful like nothing else she has seen, even among the stunning buildings, gorgeous clothes and perfect people in Caldera.

"It's my father's," Azula says calmly. "My grandfather collected war artifacts. My great-grandfather collected the dead. My father collects beautiful things."

"Why are they all in this room? The palace is beautiful ─ don't get me wrong ─ but these would be..." Ty Lee does not even have a word to describe it.

"My father likes beautiful things, but this doesn't have anything to do with art. He likes to _own _beautiful things. I think he actually would like to own _everything_. And owning it means no one else can have it, of course," Azula says as Ty Lee looks at a very stunning painting of an odd looking woman, with a blue, silken gown and surrounded by what looks like a tomb of cerulean water.

"Where is this one from?" Ty Lee asks softly.

"One of the protectorates. It doesn't look very old." Azula shrugs, although she feels like she just was stabbed in the gut. _Of course _Ty Lee would point that one out.

Ty Lee does look away, at last.

"Which do you like best?" she asks Azula and the princess does not move at first.

"That one." The one Ty Lee was so drawn to. Ty Lee does not know if she is lying or not, but Azula is being honest.

"It reminds me of myself," Azula just says, shrugging again, trying to play off what feels like inviting someone into a raw, private place as nothing of importance. "This has to do with my father and Mai, because she, and... maybe myself, are part of his collection. Not for him to enjoy, but to keep for himself so no one else can enjoy it."

Ty Lee is silent.

"Thank you," she whispers, now suddenly realizing how personal this is. Azula let her in for a glimpse, maybe a fraction of who she is underneath the facade of a ruthless and gorgeous monster..

"It doesn't mean anything," Azula says and Ty Lee would believe it. "I just wanted you to understand that there is nothing to envy. I have to go prepare for my mission. You should too."

Azula leaves, any humanity long gone.

Ty Lee stares for a moment at that painting, before she flees in fear of getting caught.


	9. An Orphanage in a Ghost Town

**Chapter Nine:** An Orphanage in a Ghost Town

* * *

Tonight, Ty Lee experiences the most chilling nightmare of her life.

She is gazing intently into Azula's immaculate mirror, like she did the night that Azula gave her a silly make-over. But instead of a girl she wanted to pretend was a friend and not a betrothed, she can see the faceless, hooded people with charred skin from being executed surrounding her.

Her lips are outlined fiercely, her eyes painted like a pricey doll. Rosy lips, her skin wan, the pretty ivory of Ty Lee's favorite tea set, and her eyes yellowy amber instead of the shade of warm earth. Necrotic, Ty Lee would call her face, instead of beautiful and Fire Nation.

Like a corpse looking beautiful on display before being moved to a pyre.

_"There," _the voices of the dead say, "_now she is perfect. Now she is one of them."_

_ "There, now she is perfect. Now she is one of them."_

Ty Lee wakes up, covered in sweat, her eyes struggling to open and take in the real world. It is almost as if they do not want to accept the world around her, despite it being such a relief compared to where she just was stuck.

They are sleeping in the final outpost on the way to the west to meet up with the operatives Ozai sent to the sacked factory. Azula is beside her, their legs close together, but not interlinked.

It feels nice before Ty Lee is fully away of her surroundings, but then she feels a deep conflict. Azula has the opposite sensation when her eyes open and allow the sunlight in. She turns to face her fiancee, the one she snuck out of Caldera to join her on her mission.

The one who will now see Azula as a general, as the Monster of the West, and still see if her eyes glimmer and glow in adulation. It is petty and absurd for someone who knows she will be wed to Ty Lee, who knows Ty Lee will be forced to make the best of what they have.

Who knows that this is not love, and is simply infatuation.

Azula could conquer the Colony Kingdom, but she cannot conquer her own hormones and emotions.

It is a cruel necessity of nature for her to _want _this. But the princess somehow manages to keep her skin as thick as stone and her heart as unbreakable as diamond. Enough people just come and go for her to be used to it, yet, she somehow thinks she would truly dislike losing Ty Lee like them.

But hormones, just hormones, the wedding plans, the anticipation of physicality instead of instant gratification.

It is, perhaps, inevitable given her age and the complex situation. But if it goes further than that, it becomes dangerous. Azula knows better.

Loving people is dangerous. Conquering them is safe.

"Princess," Ty Lee whispers and Azula is jolted from her reverie. "I think we might have to leave now. We're really close to the meeting point."

Azula nods, kisses her cheek with what she thinks is an appropriate level of coldness, and rises to get dressed.

[X]

Meanwhile in Caldera, Ozai kills the messenger.

It is not surprising. No one particularly likes a messenger who bears bad news, even if it is a little impolite to strike him down with such a casual bolt of lightning.

Well, his last words were, _"Your daughter could have told you. It was really on her."_

If he had been a _wiser _messenger, Fire Lord Ozai would have let him live.

His closest advisor, Councilor Hoang, steps a little closer as he examines the slightly charred body in distaste. He wipes the grimace from his face and clears his throat as the Fire Lord turns to him.

"Now, I know my opinion is only wanted in matters of war, but you have also... suggested that I gain the trust of the princess. Is this a fitting time to hear about her possible motives?" The serpentine man waits very patiently for Ozai to look up, the flickering flames around him casting shadows.

"It evidently is," Ozai says as if he would not be livid if Hoang offered it without asking permission.

"I believe she is testing faith. Princess Azula is the greatest military mind behind you, of course, but that is very easily clouded by her current situation. She is not quiet seventeen, and girls who are not quite seventeen will go to very great lengths to make sure their romantic partners are truly loyal and what best proves loyalty other than following her on a very dangerous mission." He then pauses. "And of course with who we are dealing with, I am certain she also wants to solidify the fact that she is very capable of retribution for any _lack _of that faithfulness and... other things not quite seventeen year old girls obsess over in their partners."

Council Hoang is not quite sure how much of that is true, but he knows that enough of it is accurate to please Ozai, and enough of it is misleading to please Azula.

Which is the best way for him to play this game.

Especially with the dead messenger not yet cleaned up.

"We go as planned, dealing with her. The pet is unimportant," Ozai says quite calmly as the flames begin to ease.

[X]

It is a long carriage ride, in which Ty Lee comments on the dust in her eyes and the animals and bugs, and Azula pretends to listen. Their relationship seems somewhat _sturdy_. How pleasant. Sturdier than these _wheels _that hurt Azula's back and she thinks she will have the builder beaten with.

But, at last, they arrive.

And when Azula enters the camp with Ty Lee and her handful of choice soldiers, she is mildly startled to see who her father sent. She thought there was a minor disturbance. Maybe like the occasional bandits or rebellious villages that needed to be beaten a little fiercely. _Bombings _have always needed a more professional hand to clean up.

But this is The Unrelenting Sun; Azula knows their flag, because she has led them temporarily more than once, and is _impressed _by them. She met Mai while working with them, in fact. Mai was in charge of them for over a year. Which means father, or at least the military officials working under him, are very concerned about this _disturbance_.

They are not as well stocked or carefully set up as they are on missions into the wilds that are not dominated protectorates yet. But Azula is certain that this is not as hazardous as such. She thinks that they are sent for only two reasons.

The first ─ trust. While father wisely trusts no one, The Unrelenting Sun has solely benefited from the war. She also accepted the common knowledge that The Ruthless Sun bred people who preferred not rebels, loyalists or elements, but the highest bidder.

The second ─ fear. Fear is the best way to control people, and clearly this city has lost control. The Unrelenting Sun will remind them of just what kind of power the Fire Nation possesses.

Or so Azula thinks. She finds it quite hard to believe that there is truly some legion of heavily armed, practiced warriors waiting inside of that raided factory.

She walks in with her set of reinforcements, and her fiancee, examining and keeping those reasons in mind as she makes note of everything that has been allocated to this task.

"These people look tough," Ty Lee remarks softly as Azula strides into the camp without second thought.

Princess Azula has this intoxicating way of walking into a room and making everyone fall silent. Perhaps just one person notices her, or perhaps all of them do at once, but it makes Ty Lee's skin prickle. In the good way, Ty Lee thinks, in the physical way that gives her hope for their future potential relationship.

"They're The Unrelenting Sun; they _are _tough. Mai worked with them for a while," Azula remarks before licking her lips and finding a vantage point to display herself.

Azula steps up and announces herself.

[X]

Ty Lee watches, blinking her protuberant eyes as Azula remains on her pedestal as the leader of The Ruthless Sun begins to talk to her. It's a _gorgeous _woman, but she looks tough, reminds Ty Lee a little bit of the Fire Lady, but scarier in a rougher, less refined way.

Azula would consider no one a friend, and she thinks June is sleazy and frustrating, but she likes her moxie and thinks her brashness is invaluable in a world of incessant compliance. So long as she remembers her place when it counts. Alright, maybe Azula sometimes kind of likes her a little bit.

But _now _is not one of those times.

"We already cleared out and killed any useless survivors. There was a bloodbath at the factory, apparently," she explains cavalierly as Azula listens from above. Ty Lee squints; they _definitely _have an unpleasant history. "Nobody's gone into the factory yet. They kept saying that a spirit led the revolt, and the soldiers were gutless."

Azula parted her lips to ask if she could speak to the soldiers before sighing. "Literally gutless."

"Well, both. They were figuratively gutless, so we made them literally gutless," she says with a laugh. Azula wants to find it funny, but this operation just seems _off _to her. "We're going in to scope it out and then get paid. This is easy."

"Or so it seems." Azula hops down from the pedestal and Ty Lee hides her smile about the fact that she's a few inches shorter than the pallid woman, before striding away so that no one can notice.

"Who's she?" Ty Lee asks sweetly as Azula seizes her by the waist and starts moving towards the lookout point.

The lake is disgusting, and Ty Lee nearly vomits at the sight of it. _Ick_. She thought the Fire Nation was all some lush, green paradise, but this place begs to differ. The factory is partially flooded and collapsed, but it looks like they can probably get in, but definitely not without getting soaked in _that stuff_. The village is dead quiet, and the buildings burned to a crisp.

Ty Lee thinks The Ruthless Sun took care of it before Azula and her team arrived.

"Her name is June and she is a protectorate trash mercenary who thinks she's just magnificent because she has high alcohol tolerance, a poor sense of humor and is a very talented warrior and huntress," Azula says in one haughty breath.

"Mmm. She... did seem to have a... history with you," Ty Lee squeaks with a defensive bat of her eyelashes.

"Ugh. I wish you were as dumb as you look," Azula remarks coldly, as her eyes flicker around the half-sunken factory. "I stole her girlfriend. But as apology I did spare her investigation in the Senami Conspiracy which is in the top three kindest things I have ever done. So..." Azula shrugs, knowing that Ty Lee will not press further.

"Wait, was her girlfriend...?" Ty Lee doesn't have to finish; she just stares.

"Yes," Azula says, shrugging and displacing Ty Lee slightly before catching her again. "I was clearly a superior match."

"Of course," Ty Lee says earnestly and Azula rolls her eyes and gives that smile again.

The _I get true compliments perpetually _smile.

"We're going to have to go into that, aren't we?" Azula says with her lip twisted into a disgusted snarl.

[X]

The trip down into the factory is far from an easy one, even for all of the talented soldiers.

Azula is eager to watch Ty Lee in such a situation, and she is right to be intrigued. Ty Lee simply floats from leap to leap, like a child jumping from furniture playing _the floor is lava _and not jumping over certain death on crumbling ruins. Her form is flawless, if a bit out of practice.

They keep ahead, along with June, the person Azula is certain has the _real _knowledge about why they are investigating this factory so closely. Clearly, the work was not too difficult if The Ruthless Sun had the situation more than controlled before she arrived. There must be more.

"We're almost in," mutters Azula as she steps onto a hunk of metal that groans beneath her light weight. This building is very angry, and the water looks _acidic_. "Just let me..."

She melts a handle of what once was a door and now is a defunct _hatch_, and rips it off. Ty Lee feels something burn excitedly in her as she sees that, and does not feel those pangs of confusion and regret.

The three women look up at each other, their entourage of other soldiers still behind, and silently try to decide who will go in first.

But it is decided for them when the metal gives out beneath their feet in a blink of an eye, and they fall in, screaming all of them, grasping upwards at the light as they plunge into darkness and hit water.

Azula swims, instantly, after cushioning her fall with fire was not as helpful as she thought it would be. She makes it to a ramp and grabs the railing to pull herself up, dragging her knees along the walkway before lighting a palm and looking down.

The water is empty. Her heart panics as she looks around, and looks around. Then looks up, hoping that perhaps she just fell down here.

"T-Ty ─" Azula begins to say, but Ty Lee reaches the surface and gasps for breath before Azula is forced to finish her weak shout. "Ty Lee, about time!"

Her fiancee coughs and sputters for a moment before moving very quickly. June is across the room, and the three of them don't wait as their underlings begin to lower ladders. Azula refuses to let June get ahead; the huntress is hunting for something Ozai is trying to keep secret, and Azula will not let it slip away.

And Ty Lee follows her.

[X]

An undeterminable amount of time later, Azula glances between June and Ty Lee, and then takes a deep breath. She wrinkles her nose and forces back a cough; this place is _rancid_. Ty Lee feels squeamish about it too, but she _did _live in a circus for a while.

"We're all fully limbed and ready to move forward?" Azula inquires coolly, seizing control with ease. "Yes then. Just follow my fire and we can get into the main halls."

The cerulean flames grow, casting long shadows on the dripping metal walls. They have no idea if they will meet resistance or not, but they all are shivering from the icy plunge they unwillingly took. And dripping with acrid _gunk _on top of that.

They have been walking for some time, and have yet to see a single body or person, but that changes quite quickly when Ty Lee trips on a string and all three women freeze. A _bell_. It was a makeshift alarm made by people awaiting rescue.

Azula looks around, and sees assailants coming towards her that she could have mistaken for corpses. _Oh, _but they are very alive. Just dripping with the polluted water, and slashed and burned from a battle. It is impossible to tell who or what they once were but Ty Lee screams before she and Azula both spring into action.

The princess gazes at her fiancee for a breathless moment, watching her in the smooth motion of a deadly dancer as Azula strikes with mindless fire and lightning. Ty Lee uses her bare hands to take down lumbering and fierce fighters twice her size, which is impressive, to say the least.

"More of them," June declares calmly, despite her loud tone, and Azula grabs Ty Lee by the wrist with fervor.

Her cheeks flush as she realizes it could symbolize her reluctance to leave Ty Lee behind, but the acrobat can only notice the much more confident and _alive _boot-steps thundering towards them. They have woken a beast in these sunken chambers.

They run, fighting as they go. Ty Lee knocks them down like bone tiles, and Azula is not quite sure of how it is done; they seem to fall with a single punch or two. But the princess is much too focused on both keeping their way illuminated and killing everything that would _dare _rip her life, her fiancee or her huntress from her.

Their next blockade enemies, several meters away from where they were last, look less like zombies. June very narrowly dodges a blast of powerful fire, in a form that Azula recognizes as military training exclusively. Azula kicks a blaze towards him that seemed impossible to block, before being interrupted by blades coming at her from two different directions. She slides down into a split and the sunken halls become pitch black for a moment before Azula can rekindle her palm. The lights come back on, and the fight clearly did not stop.

Azula sees fire coming directly at her chest as she dodges a blade and kicks out the ankles of one swordsman, burning them and leaving him cursing on the ground. A barrage of fire comes at her and she finds it easy to block, despite trying to keep her eyes on Ty Lee.

She is surrounded by very strong looking men in much more pristine military uniforms. They must be less gutless soldiers.

_For now_.

Not even bothering with the bender she can block easily, Azula takes on the man with the sword. His steel has dried blood on it already from the massacre days ago. Once he is down, Azual looks up to see June taking on two firebenders.

And then Azula's eyes narrow in on an arrow coming at Ty Lee.

That feeling as if Azula drank the water here again. She shoves Ty Lee, burns the hand of the man with the sword coming at her, and then looks for the archer. Ty Lee springs up and Azula can no longer focus on the arrows when she sees her fiancee knock all three firebenders down.

They don't move as Ty Lee as gasps for breath and coughs for a moment.

"Can't fight without your bending," she says with a laugh before realizing herself.

Ty Lee shakes her head and runs to Azula, grabbing her hand as June narrows her sights on and takes down the archer.

"What did you just do?" Azula hisses, her eyes wide.

Time is fleeting, but Azula steals a glance at what was definitely not just _hand to hand combat_. They are paralyzed, and Azula does yank Ty Lee to a stop before looking at the first she attacked. He stares at her, his body shaking and quivering with fear, water dripping from him.

"He's paralyzed," Ty Lee whispers, her cheeks flushing. "I, uh, it's a long process that takes some explanation and ─ what are you ─ ?"

Now _she _is the alarmed one as Azula seems to need to _test _the paralysis. She slowly touches him with the tip of her boot, looking at him like an owl-raptor eyeing an elephant-mouse, and with a small, satisfied smirk, she kicks him into the water as his lips tremble with a helpless plea.

"Azula, I..." Ty Lee hesitates, her breaths shallow and difficult. "I probably should have told you why I was offered elite training."

"I think it is a very useful power," Azula says softly and then Ty Lee's eyes widen.

Azula turns around, hating how _rusty _her reflexes are after a year out of real war, and Ty Lee strikes down a bender before he can even try, and she sends him toppling into the water even though it makes her whimper in disgust.

"Agni that was hot," Azula breathes without a moment's hesitation.

She grabs Ty Lee by the front of the shirt, and is not something she has even done with Mai. Ty Lee lets herself fall limp as Azula pulls her into a brilliant, forceful kiss.

"I-I think," Ty Lee says breathlessly, "I think June left already."

Azula's lips part in surprise, and she shoves Ty Lee aside, before snatching her up again and scanning the blue tinted shadows for June.

"You come back!" Azula shrieks at a feminine shadow.

She starts running with Ty Lee's slippery hand tightly clasped in hers.

[X]

The collapsed, drowned hallways are dangerous, but they are nothing three extremely accomplished warriors can't take. Ty Lee is still in awe of Azula's calm cruelty, Azula of the naive sweetheart who can _take bending away_, and June clearly solely concerned about her job.

They reach a momentary standstill. And that moment is enough to nearly kill Azula. Because one of the machines is teetering from above, held very loosely by metal strands, and as she kicks at the door, it rattles, it rumbles, and it falls.

She moves so quickly that she is stunned at herself. _Angry _at herself.

That acid burning in her. She feels the splash of water before the body under her and the huge thud of the machine on the floor. Their eyes meet, Azula is speechless, Ty Lee bites her lower lip.

"If you lovebirds are done, I got the door open," interrupts them both, and they quickly pull apart.

This is the confusing part of the relationship, and Azula and Ty Lee are _both _grateful that they have to focus on surviving this deathtrap. And that they can blame their acts of passion on the panicked and deadly situation.

The next stretch of water, sludge and broken metal is the most strenuous physically, and Azula is out of breath for the first time. Ty Lee has been panting for a few rooms, but she has been out of practice for a long time, despite her regularly, vigorous training and work at the circus. Combat is pretty different than performance.

Azula is rusty too, but less so. There are more moments in which Azula thinks she is going to lose a girl she thought was mostly worthless. Slippery hands grabbing each other, Ty Lee more and more confused and grateful.

Finally, they reach the end, or at least where June stops. Azula reaches the top of the overseer platform, pulling Ty Lee up behind her.

"Well, that morning jog is over," June remarks.

Azula, to her own revulsion, turns to Ty Lee instead of saying something intimidating.

They both gasp and pant, staring at each other like fools, soaked and hot from the descent.

Azula makes the move, grabbing Ty Lee and forcing their lips together. It is not how kissing in the rain is rumored to work, but it still makes her heart pound out of control. The confusion fades as she wants to make it last forever, but the woman sitting by them clears her throat pointedly.

"This has been uncomfortable for all of us," June says, sighing. "This is where Fire Lord Ozai's orders said we had to go alone. I'm guess she was part of the deal."

Azula nods and sits down, hiding her excitement. She did not think June would just _tell _her about whatever the secret job was. Ty Lee wonders why she is staring June down and doubts it has to do with Mai, but she is very close to Azula.

Ty Lee knows the princess probably does not want to comment on or acknowledge the fact that she showed concern for another human being while in this dank, dark place. Azula would be livid if Ty Lee dared to, and she is livid at herself for having done that.

But it was impossible not to.

Perhaps not having full _control _of Ty Lee disturbed Azula. Of course that must be it. The perils of this stupid factory had control, and Azula could not bear the thought of not controlling her wife.

That must be it.

They catch their breath before even thinking about moving on.

[X]

The trio walks into the heart of the factory, and enters where the massacre took place.

It was a chilling entrance, but what they find is not scary at all.

The halls are not filled with blood, or anything that _really _requires such intense attention, like Azula was anticipating. Her golden eyes narrow, examining the dim room around her as she lights her palm to better illuminate the halls around her. The better lighting reveals corpses and corpses and corpses.

"So this is the army father fears so much," she remarks, so quietly than only Ty Lee and June can hear. "He must be so afraid of ghosts."

He _is_, Azula thinks, although she laughs at her own joke and the two other women are smart enough to be silent in response. Ozai is afraid of the ghosts of Sozin and Azulon, and if their great deeds will haunt him, and their awful deeds will be blamed on him.

But these dead bodies are not to be feared.

"The massacre itself is not at all what I'm concerned about. What _started it _is what I'm concerned about," Azula admits openly. She jumps down from the supervisor catwalk and she is followed by her fiancee and the current Ruthless Sun leader.

Now General Azula walks between the bodies, looking at them, scanning with her flames for signs of injuries. Blunt force, some cuts, some burns.

"Barely militia," she says, rolling her eyes at how simple this was. "No spirits, or any army of rebels. I have no idea why the coward soldiers were so scared to go in here."

"Not the factory workers?" Ty Lee asks. "Fighting against the rebels?"

"There are casualties on both sides," Azula says, and she strongly doubts that the workers would put up much of a fight. Those "gutless" soldiers in the area however, absolutely would. She breathes in through her mouth and feels somehow queasier than when her nose was assaulted by the stench. "What are you actually here for?"

"Are you not in on that?" June asks and Azula's lips part in surprise.

She had not... she had not...

"I asked about _you_, not myself," Azula covers smoothly and June clearly believes her.

"There are some records about that spirit thing that are in the factory office. I have the key, and I just have to find it. And get the materials to you and back to the Fire Lord personally."

Azula frowns. Why that needs _her attention_, she has no idea. And why she was not _informed _makes her angry.

This feels... _bad_.

June removes her jacket as they continue investigating each hall, seeking out that office while the other soldiers think they are seeking clues or survivors. Azula sees nothing but her own racing thoughts about her father's potential motives and her possible moves.

But Ty Lee notices the tattoo on June as she grabs Ty Lee and forcibly helps her up onto the stairs and out of the water. It is a flower, although her other arm has a skull.

It is Tiger's Bride.

[X]

"So, you coming with me or Azula?" June asks as they decide to split up in the long, broken and corpse-strewn hallways.

"I think that's up to the princess," Ty Lee says before turning obediently to her fiancee.

Well, Azula wants Ty Lee to stay fixed to her side _forever _if possible. But she also must remind Ty Lee and _herself _how detached she is, and how she does not care if she loses Ty Lee. And so, "Go with June," Azula says. "I work best alone."

Azula disappears, and June stares at Ty Lee for a moment before they start walking in the opposite direction.

"Good thing you asked her," June remarks. She _is _being honest. There is not a drop of loyalist blood in her, and there never has been, but she has honestly always preferred the perks of playing nice with royalty over the downsides of forced suicide and making _homes _in tunnels like these.

"Do you ever still talk to the Fire Lady?" Ty Lee asks, getting right to the intrusive questions.

"No. I don't think I would be allowed near that body if I was stopping her from falling into a ravine." She laughs and Ty Lee feels uneasy. "I'm no ─ _ha_, I won't play modest, I am a total lady-killer and you can tell, but I saw her in those tunnels."

"Yeah, I don't think she likes it when I fight."

June looks at her like she is a baby pronouncing a word wrong. "Oh, that's so cute. You're naive, and never lose that. No, she has more abandonment issues than a fucking orphanage in a ghost town," she says before _very _sarcastically tacking on, "not to speak ill of the royals, long may she reign with wisdom from the flames, but I think you just snagged her for life."

"It wasn't, I didn't know she had..." and Ty Lee whispers, "abandonment issues."

"Well, happy accident then. She almost lost you, and now she will refuse to lose you even if she has to shackle you to something in her basement," and again adding hastily, "in a completely flattering way, may her conquest never be disputed."

Ty Lee looks over at Azula and faintly smiles.

That sounds kind of romantic.

[X]

At long last, they find the mostly intact manager's office, and all that they were sent for were some very thick, detailed files about recent and old activity of the vigilante the Painted Lady. Yes, she has ties to Zuko. But she has not done anything noteworthy since Zuko was at large.

This perhaps could have used the touch of June or The Ruthless Sun, but Azula cannot understand why it is so important for Azula to have these files about the Painted Lady in her hands. She scans every single corner of the office and comes up short, before deciding to find the exit with June and Ty Lee.

With the help of their men, they escape, give the soldiers the busy work of checking the bodies for any important signs of what caused the fight, and get as far away from this disgusting, polluted lake as possible.

Sunlight. Agni, sunlight feels good. Azula is going to take several thousand showers as soon as she is back to her outpost.

"I'm supposed to give this to you."

"I don't have your money."

"I was already paid," June says with a smug smirk. "Say hi to your mom for me."

She bows very deeply and Azula does nothing, to Ty Lee's surprise. Ty Lee watched Azula have a man's eyes ripped out just for flirting, and has watched her kick several people to the ground for not bowing deeply enough.

It is _then _that Ty Lee realizes their history is not _unpleasant_. They are _friends_. Well, perhaps Azula doesn't have _friends_, but they have some type of camaraderie from adventures Ty Lee hopes one day to hear about.

Ty Lee wants to laugh about how she missed that so easily.

Once they are out of earshot, Ty Lee whispers, "Who's the Painted Lady?"

Ty Lee _knows_, though. Well, she does not know who is behind the mask, as much as she was stunned to find out that the Blue Spirit was Zuko. But the Painted Lady is another rebel vigilante icon that everyone has secretly heard about.

It is best if Azula thinks she is clueless, however.

"A vigilante with ties to my brother." Azula leans back in their carriage. She contemplates complaining to Ty Lee about how her father cannot have thought that a few files, albeit thick, on the Painted Lady were worth sending _her_, and therefore must be up to _something_, but it is not worth it. "Let's take a shower. Or ten."

_Let's _being the key word.

[X]

In the outpost showers, alone but with Ty Lee undressing just outside, Azula lets the water pour over herself, over her naked body.

She is not _that _confident romantically. Azula wants to pretend that she is magnificently experienced and casual, but being bare like this, in front of this girl, makes her blush. Her fantasies about how this shower could go are innumerable, but she knows none of them will happen, because she and Ty Lee do not feel same way at the same time. So she tries to hide it by scrubbing her skin, rubbing the dirt from it with the most perfumed soap she can get.

It still smells like men's cologne.

Then again, perhaps this girl who seems to _only _like men, might actually want to fuck Azula if she _smells like _one.

"So, you can take away bending?" Azula asks as she conscientiously moves her focus to her own breasts. "That wasn't in your dossier."

"It's a family skill I was taught," Ty Lee explains as she begins to undo her crusty, disgusting braid. It takes work to wriggle it free, and hurts her fingernails. "It's chi blocking. I can do more with it than that, like paralyze those people, or give _great _massages."

Ty Lee grins and tries to look cute as she frees her hair and lets the water soak it. _Oh_, that feels good. _Oops_, she accidentally made a sound that expressed how good that felt aloud.

"You're talented," Azula remarks coldly, and she gives no more than that.

Because Ty Lee is already stunned by Azula giving any praise. Because any praise from Azula is the highest compliment anyone alive can receive.

And so she is more than willing to accept the wet kiss, before the mud on them both makes it uncomfortable, and they just share the same rinse of water.

Azula wants to act on the strong heat between her thighs, but she must wait.

It must kill people who _both _want sex before marriage but are not permitted to do so.

[X]

Upon returning to the palace, Azula immediately goes to find her father about how nonsensical the task was. There was _nothing _for her there, save for a few interesting notes about the Painted Lady. That was in the realm of the Blue Spirit, and therefore the factory assault was intertwined somehow with Zuko.

She contemplated stopping off to visit her brother first, but father is more important.

But she finds the entire wing locked. _Locked_.

"Allow me in," Azula says to the guard who must be _high_ or _lazy_.

"The Fire Lord is not permitting anyone inside. His war meetings are exclusive and you are not to be permitted. He has left any trivial decisions to Fire Lady Mai," the soldier says in a slow, jilted tone and Azula contemplates throttling him with blazing hands.

But she just calmly takes a breath. "Fine."

She strides across the palace, her heart pounding, and goes to find Zuko first. The soldiers there try to block her off, but she refuses to relent, only to find that he is inside of that _delightfully _locked for three days wing.

Busy work? It must have been. _Busy work_.

Oh, he needed _General Azula_.

She sits down on some ancient ottoman and breathes in and out with her fingernails digging into her knees. Fine, if he will do this, she will do as she pleases. And Azula right now most wants to act upon her desire to make sure that Ty Lee is never lost to her.

The binding of rings must happen at once, whether Fire Lord Ozai approves of it or not.

It isn't as if Mai is going to put up much of a fight about okaying the matter.

[X]

The welder looks pleased and excited, and Ty Lee is grinning, as they are in a beautiful room with several roaring fires and jewelry in open glass cases. It is tucked away in the palace, and it is where Azula will have her rings bound with Ty Lee regardless of Ozai's wishes.

Is it real rebellion? No. Is it going to remedy her anxiety about Ty Lee? Yes.

Azula watches Ty Lee's thrill about picking out wedding rings with a small satisfied smirk. She does not think her fiancee notices, as she examines all of the possibilities. Even the oldest of rings are kept in perfect condition. A thousand types of dragons, some plainer, some with more gems, all of them with more loops than Ty Lee has ever seen before.

The legend behind Fire Nation wedding rings, which of course spread to the Colony Kingdom, was of a single warring house in the very beginning, before dragons were tamed and one conquered all of the rest. A member of one of the houses, a distrustful man, was marrying a much younger woman, and he was expected to go away to fight more than once to maintain their territory.

To make sure she did not cheat on him behind his back, he had a wedding ring made that was a puzzle of different interlocking bands. No one knew how to repeat it. Now, Azula always thought a clever wife would simply seduce the person who made the ring, but that was beside the point; a tradition was born and never faded.

Now it is much more about vanity than a true precaution.

"There isn't much customization that can be done," Azula says as she picks up and examines the puzzle rings. "I like the dragons, personally. They seem to be the most challenging, not that I intend on cheating on you."

Azula hands Ty Lee the one she has been favoring, despite Ty Lee being the decider on matters of the wedding.

She takes it into the palm of her hand. The puzzle ring has more bands and looks more complicated than any Ty Lee has ever seen before, on any married person. It is shaped like a very detailed, intricate dragon with inset ruby eyes as well, and Ty Lee has never seen more than plain knots and the occasional family crest.

It looks as unsolvable as the legends about puzzle rings boasted.

"This one's more complex than usual," Ty Lee comments. "I've only really seen ones with two or three."

"Well, they must have such trusting spouses in the Colony Kingdom." Azula smirks.

Ty Lee laughs too loudly and for too long, and begins to look through the rings.

It takes a _very _long time for Ty Lee to decide upon which of the gilded rings she wants. Azula's legs are sore, but she wants to make sure that her fiancee remains exalted about this. The princess knows that her true motives are not _savory_ to others than herself.

At last, Ty Lee examines the ring she chose; Azula has a matching one, which is a relief. It would have been a bit intimidating if only one of them were bound, as it has seemed to be for so long.

They are both ones Azula finds aesthetically pleasing, which is a relief.

"The little marking in all of them is the same," Ty Lee remarks, pointing to it. "I know it's supposed to be the family crest, but that isn't the symbol of the royal family."

Azula cocks an eyebrow, having not expected such an astute observation from Ty Lee. She probably should stop being so startled by her deceiving amount of intelligence, but they both like to pretend.

"That's true. It's the symbol of the original warring house, before they became royals. Obviously, these rings aren't that old, but the brand is. Not the actual branding material, but you know what I mean. The symbol doesn't mark the belongings of royals, it marks _royals_," Azula says honestly and Ty Lee smiles faintly, smiles _genuinely _for the first time in a long time.

"So, I'm not the belonging of a royal."

"No. I have one of these too." Azula holds up her hand, which is half fitted with the ring. The welder looks very concerned about that fact. "You're going to be a princess, not a pet or a trophy."

Ty Lee closes her eyes for a few moments, no one noticing the flicker of a fantasy disguised as a lengthy blink.

She lets the callous-handed man finish with her ring and Azula does as well.

They walk across the courtyard back to the palace, towards the sunset. Ty Lee has not _walked _much with Azula, but within the walls of the palace, it seems to make more sense. And to be more pleasant, around the aromatic flowers and very gentle summer breeze.

Even in the rain, the wind seems so tamed here. Ty Lee wonders, even though it is silly, if Caldera has learned how to master the wind and waves along with everything else.

"So... _everything _belongs to the royals, though," Ty Lee says quietly before looking around. She did not mean for it to be pointed, but Azula saw it that way.

"Yes. But all of that will belong to you as well." Azula knows she does not need to explain that the power dynamic must already be evident. Someone bred royal was born to lead, born to dominate, while someone married into it... is not the same.

"That sounds kinda overwhelming. But I _do _like things," Ty Lee says, smiling. That one is a bit less genuine, but she takes Azula's hand in hers.

The puzzle rings are still warm, warmer than their skin.

"You said the brand was the same too?" Ty Lee asks, shifting her thoughts back to the wedding itself.

"The brand. For the wedding ceremony."

Azula cannot imagine Ty Lee _not _knowing that. How could a protectorate have no knowledge of such an important Fire Nation tradition.

Ty Lee laughs before quickly wiping the smile from her face. Azula did not seem to like that.

"No. I know what that is, Azula. I just didn't think... most of the families think it's..." _Barbaric_. "Outdated, and the protectorates actually seem behind Caldera culturally."

"Go bother Mai about it." Azula sighs, tired of explaining the simplest of things.

The protectorates are _far _too uneducated on the _simplest _of matters.

Ty Lee obeys her, but she thinks Mai might be very bored of answering Ty Lee's questions.

Then again, Mai seems bored of absolutely everything.

[X]

"You don't need to say _outdated_. You're thinking barbaric," Mai says. She is not _too _bothered by this, but she does think Azula should tell her fiancee these things instead of sending her off to Mai.

"Well, yeah. Outside of our _prisoners_, we don't usually think burning something permanently into human skin is an okay thing to do," Ty Lee whispers, as if the walls are listening.

Mai's eyes flicker to the sparse scabs still on Ty Lee's hand from the initial rites, the first of many. Ty Lee then looks at her own and knows she expects more violent and complicated rituals. There were plenty of them back home, and she is certain that there are more here, in the birthplace of Fire Nation culture.

"The wedding itself involves a branding. In front of _everyone_. Which is more people than you can count. Well, that just means more than ten. So, more than I can count," Mai says without any sign of finding it grotesque and Ty Lee's lips part in mild surprise. She kind of thought Mai would have some of the protectorates left in her. "I know. It's really not so common in the protectorates outside of military and old institutions, but it's still common here. I kind of hoped you wouldn't know."

"Why?" Ty Lee asks quietly.

"Because I like your expression of shock and horror," Mai says and Ty Lee does not know if she is kidding or not. "It's cute. Almost as cute as the expression of when your hope and passion dies."

Yeah, Ty Lee actually thinks she is not kidding.

Brands are not uncommon, even if Ty Lee thinks that Caldera is some magical kingdom devoid of pain, like most of the rebels in the Colony Kingdom and Western Fire Nation do. People have them in different places. It's a very serious thing, not to be taken lightly at all. Different markings, all up people's arms. Ty Lee has seen the scars and scar tissue on weathered skin of people who fought in old, old wars.

Mai rolls up her sleeve without a second thought, and hers looks much more fresh.

"What's...?" Ty Lee stares not at the brand on Mai's wrist. "That's bad."

She is not, of course, referring to the brand. Ty Lee has seen a few of them, the freshest like Mai's on prisoners and slaves, of course, but there are scars on her that are much, much nastier than the neat, unique symbol permanently seared into her skin.

Ty Lee's first, quick assumption of is of some kind of bad incident, or that she did it to herself. She is the sullen kind, but then Ty Lee abruptly remembers the stark contrast in Mai and Ozai's stories of how they came to be married.

"It's a couple scars. I don't care." Mai's three favorite words, and ones Ty Lee wishes she could share.

"Oh." Ty Lee is not sure if she wants to ask.

"I have a brand from the Ruthless Sun too." Mai then sees that the girl clearly is fixated on the scars, and she is not going to be able to distract those wide, sparkly eyes very easily. "Ask."

"I don't..." Ty Lee runs her hands along her braid nervously with a small gulp.

"Ask." Mai repeats it with a calm resolve and Ty Lee inhales sharply. She thinks when Mai is not just passively waiting for a reason to get up and leave, she is much more frightening and commanding than her husband.

"Does that have anything to do with your parents?" Ty Lee asks before her lips part. Look cute, look innocent, look scared. She is all of those things, to be honest, as much as she would like to pretend to be some grand infiltrator of the royal family.

Mai looks her up and down, the scared girl. Older than Mai, but seeming a thousand years younger. The brunch, it must have been. He must have told her, but Mai doubts he went into much detail.

"You want to know the truth?" Mai sits down and sighs. "Whatever. You ask a lot of questions and I know about your educational adventure with drinking poison."

She takes brief, hollow satisfaction in Ty Lee's shock at Mai _possibly _knowing about her choice box. "My horrible mother was involved in the Senami Conspiracy ─ am I going to have to give you a lesson or...?"

Ty Lee quickly stammers out, "I know it. I know it. Some people tried to kill the guy Fire Lord Ozai sent to unify the protectorates near Ba Sing Se. Go on." Then Ty Lee blushes because she is afraid she offended the Fire Lady. But she seems apathetic towards it.

"My mother tried to wrap me up in it, force me to help her and use my relationship with Azula and my military training. So... I played along and then I sold her out."

"W-what?" Ty Lee whispers in disbelief and mild disgust. She then bats her eyelashes and feigns sympathy, and Mai does not care enough to roll her eyes and say she is not buying the baby bunny-kitten act.

"I don't know if I regret it, but I was a kid, and I hated my parents." Mai leans back and feels her heart rate gradually slow.

_She wasn't a rebel unless you count rebelling against her parents_. That was how Ozai phrased it. It suddenly makes very much sense to Ty Lee.

"And?" Ty Lee dares to whisper.

"My mother was the ringleader. She was the Senami of the Senami Conspiracy, so of course she was. She was given her choice box, and I was too. It was actually very hard for her to make her mind up over whether she valued my life more than hers. So, no, I don't at all regret the fact that I cut open a few of my veins to get out of it."

Ty Lee's eyes widen without any attempt to be cute. "A-a few of your veins?"

"Yes. My mother caved in, and she bled to death very slowly. I heard it hurt and she died alone, but I don't care. My wounds were tied up, and I was given an offer I couldn't refuse. It worked out better than it probably should've." Mai shrugs. Every wound is healed by now. _Every _wound.

"Better a queen than a prisoner," Ty Lee whispers without meaning to.

"Did he tell you that?"

"Yes."

Mai nods. "I'm going to tell you something. My mother was Senami. An entire conspiracy that couldn't be covered up is named after her. And I was implicated in it."

"Yes."

"And your mother was some lesser rebel who just happened to have a cute daughter."

"... yes."

"You scream submissive little cute thing head to toe. I saw you and instantly knew you were going to play along. So did Azula. Don't pretend she was just so charmed by your seven minute conversation that she fell in love." Mai pauses. Ty Lee is hit by those words, that revelation about Azula, and her eyes burn with tears before she is distracted by the rest of what Mai has to say. "Do I come off to you like that?"

The Ruthless Sun. Her voice, more frightening to Ty Lee than Ozai at that moment.

"No," Ty Lee squeaks.

"Then maybe you should think about why you scare the Fire Lord so much and I never did."

And Mai leaves, Ty Lee grasping at anything, anything she can say to try to get her to stay.

"I met your girlfriend!" Ty Lee calls after her. "I saw her tattoo! The one of the flower!"

Mai's hand rests on the door for a moment and Ty Lee feels suspended in time, not knowing if she will leave or stay.

"I never saw that one," Mai says very slowly, and Ty Lee thinks she is _trying _to do something with her intonation, but not trying to be conspicuous about it, which is not helpful. She does turn, and lean against the door. "She has an interesting one, the title of this stupid, raunchy song from a bar bet she lost. To me."

"Can I hear it?" Ty Lee asks, although she doubts it.

Mai rolls her eyes. And very flatly, because she refuses to sing, and she also refuses to land properly on the rhymes like most do when reciting, she recites:

"_Just introduce a sweetheart, and your enemies go blind; and when they sheath their weapons, you strike them from behind." _

Well, Ty Lee would have to be even dumber than she looks to not get _that_.

Mai says without pause or gravitas, "Now stop bothering me and go play with some finger-paints or dolls or something."

And she is gone.


	10. Jitters

**Chapter Ten: Jitters  
**

* * *

Katara steels her jaw and fixates her glare on her captor. She will not give this up, no matter the cost, even if that cost takes her life. She will not be weak, because she is strong. Her head is fuzzy, her vision hazy, her skin coated in a thin layer of sweat.

Her captor is a bespectacled man of at least forty, but he holds himself as if he were a young warrior. Katara gazes at him from her bonds, and he finds her cobalt eyes hypnotizing in the most disturbing of ways.

"Do you know where you are?" he begins, licking his thumb before flipping through meaningless pages of meticulous black characters.

"I'm in the Boiling Rock. And I'm..." Katara is not at all certain _where _in the prison she is. But she has been very alarmed by the fact that they took her to their harshest jail, and that that might mean they have too much information on her.

"And you are under interrogation for your knowledge of the attack on Summer Dawn Factory," he continues smoothly. "An act of terrorism that you were involved in."

"How do you even know?" Katara spits, refusing to let herself be tricked into giving out a single breath of information. She would rather die than betray her friends.

"Because it is no coincidence that a waterbender was identified in the attack, and a waterbender showed up only a few miles away from the fishing village she destroyed," he says, leaning back. The dim lantern casts shadows on his face.

"I'll give you that," Katara says hoarsely. "I won't bother lying. But I didn't destroy that village, your _soldiers _destroyed it. The village didn't sink... they burned it to the ground looking for me."

"You and your friends."

"No. It was just me."

"Now, my dear, we both know that isn't true."

"It is unless I put it in writing. Unless I tell you up front."

He taps his fingers together and Katara thinks she may have thrown him off at least slightly.

Her vision is becoming more and more fuzzy, and her head is teetering. She arrived, was imprisoned, and the first thing they did was implement sleep deprivation and starve her for two days. But it did not break Katara; it only gave her more of an incentive to fight back.

"And you have information on the whereabouts of the Painted Lady?" he asks calmly, sipping from his steaming tea.

"No information that I'm telling you," Katara says hoarsely. It is almost funny that the Fire Nation thinks they can intimidate answers out of her, when she would rather die than betray her friends.

She tries to find something to look at other than the man scrutinizing her with a snarl on his lip. The dark room makes her feel more enclosed than she has ever been in her life and her limbs are so numb that they do not feel like a part of her body.

There is nothing here that seems like a weapon or a common form of torture. Just a man who looks like he thinks too highly of himself with files he flips through ominously. Perhaps the Fire Nation is a much stranger place than she thought it would be.

Then again, she never put much thought into what would happen if they captured her.

"Of course, you feel that way currently," the man says, adjusting his pricey robe sleeves. Katara squints at him before her eyes become sore. "But I think you will be more than willing to make the right choice in due time."

"Yeah, I think I will. The right choice is dying for my cause instead of giving it up."

* * *

Far away from the Boiling Rock, Ty Lee wakes in the morning to the warmth of the sun on her face and the discomfort of sweat sticking to her sheets. It takes her a moment to remember why she slept so fitfully, and her pulse races when she does. It has been three weeks since the ring ceremony, and tomorrow she is getting married.

Tomorrow she is going to be wed to Princess Azula in front of the entirety of Caldera, and with the scrutinizing eyes and ears of the rebellion on her. Tomorrow she will wear the crown of her enemies. The concept of being decorated and put up for show as a traitor to the people she cared about helping does not help the natural wedding jitters. But her goal, her _only _goal, is survival.

She wants to live, and she wants to make it through this and step into her new life without fucking up again. Maybe it makes her selfish, but she never wanted to be a political statement. She never wanted to be a rebel or the princess's bride. It was all forced by circumstance.

No one can blame her for that, can they?

Ty Lee drifts out of her bedroom and walks to breakfast. No one is there, but the long dining table is laden with food. She looks at all of the colorful items meant to look irresistibly tempting, but she has no appetite while she chokes on the butterfly-moths in her stomach.

"So," the Fire Lady says and Ty Lee jumps in shock. "So, you're getting married tomorrow?"

"Obviously," Ty Lee snaps and Mai did not think that the bubbly girl could talk in that tone.

"Is it all you ever wanted?" Mai asks and Ty Lee thinks she may have smiled a little.

"Yes," Ty Lee says, hovering somewhere between truth and lies. "Yes, I always wanted a royal wedding like this." _But I didn't want to be in an arranged marriage like this._

"Weddings are boring and dumb," Mai says before picking up an orange and then setting it down in distaste. Ty Lee wonders if she likes _anything_. "The part after the wedding is less boring and dumb."

Ty Lee smiles and it is the most fake yet. She does not want to talk about her wedding night; her feelings about sexual relations with Azula are too uncomfortable.

"Right, so I got you a present or something," Mai says evenly and Ty Lee instantly feels nervous. "It's to help you with how miserable giving up sex with boys forever. I mean, I don't pity you, but I was supposed to get you something."

Ty Lee grimaces at this situation. "Thank you, but I really don't need a..."

Whatever Mai is going to give her that makes her usually passive amber eyes sparkle with mild amusement.

"I don't care. There is no emotion behind this gift. It's just tradition," Mai says with a sigh as she sets the beautiful red gift box on the table.

Ty Lee chews on her lip and decides to reach forward with a muttered thank you.

It is much better than a trophy of her father's death, but that isn't too difficult. It is just awkward and uncomfortable, and Ty Lee has now decided that her mother-in-law seems to hate or be bored by everything but the discomfort and pain of others.

Like by making cryptic comments and giving her daughter-in-law-to-be _sex toys _as a wedding gift.

[X]

Ozai's betrayal of his daughter was almost three weeks ago, but the princess is still displeased about it. She has received no answers, and he was not bothered at all that she moved on with the wedding rituals. It sickens Azula to have so little control over her situation, but soon she will go through with the wedding and move another step closer to her throne.

And her loyalty to her father does not waver, despite his clear lack of loyalty to her.

They are having tea on the veranda, surrounded by small, paper white trees and bathed in the morning sunlight.

"This is an important moment I think we are supposed to share," he says stiffly and Azula does know it is social convention.

"Of course," Azula says softly after finishing her sip of tea.

"It's not every day your daughter gets married." Pause. Silence."I have something for you," Ozai quickly adds and he slowly opens the box that Azula suspected contained a gift. Probably one that she would never want in a thousand years.

The glint of rubies in the morning light catches Azula's eye before she can register what the present is. It is not something she dislikes; it is far from that. It is a necklace choker of dripping rubies, rubies that look like a thousand drops of blood dripping from a knife.

"This is gorgeous," Azula remarks honestly and he leans back, now more comfortable with the situation. "I'm to wear it tomorrow, I presume?"

"Yes," he replies and she studies the precious gems for a moment before reaching in and picking it up.

They are smooth and ice cold against her hand, and fill her with a thrill.

"Thank you, father."

"It's fitting, since you decided to rip a man's throat out in front of her on the second date," father says and Azula's lips twitch with a small smirk.

"Let's hope I'm not the one with my throat slit this time," Azula murmurs under her breath as she picks it up and moves to put it on herself. Her fingers fumble with the clasp for a few long, awkward moments before Ozai moves to help her.

She usually would not mind him helping her clasp a necklace or gently tear off the painful part of a broken nail, or tie her shoelaces like she is a child. But right now she feels slightly chilled by his hands on a blood red necklace noose.

He pulls too hard and her hand flies up to stop him before he just clasps the old metal chain and walks away.

_Jumpy_, Azula thinks as he strides away without any reaction, _I'm just being jumpy._

She has no knowledge that Ozai did contemplate for a split second pulling it tighter against her, until she bruised.

[X]

Zuko looks up at his father and tries to remain as calm as possible. Ozai had come into Zuko's chambers, and that was troubling enough in itself. But the Fire Lord has a sadistic glint in his eyes and Zuko does not like it one bit.

"We caught one of the rebels." Pause. Zuko does not react. "She's a waterbender," he adds and Zuko inhales sharply in pained shock.

And Ozai's assumption is confirmed that easily; his son is too easy to exploit. _She _is the girlfriend. What a fortunate catch, even if her little friends got away.

"Katara," Zuko breathes and Ozai nods.

They did not know the girl's name, but now they do. If only every prisoner under Ozai's thumb were this quickly manipulated.

Ozai says, "We have nothing _eventful _planned for her, but we would like information out of her before anything might happen while she is under our care."

Zuko does not know what to say. He feels the surge in his blood of needing to protect Katara, but he also remembers himself. And he remembers that she can take care of herself fine without him. She is in Caldera, though. She is attainable. The White Lotus... they might not be driven as far underground as Zuko was told.

"How did you catch her?" Zuko demands hastily and Ozai shrugs one shoulder. "Tell me. You came here to taunt me with her; tell me what happened."

"She's obviously even worse at evading capture than you." Ozai looks at his son with mock pity, and Zuko bites down. "She's very strong, I've heard from the warden. She's still fighting, which is more than I could say about you."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Zuko snaps with a fire in his eyes that Ozai feels slightly proud of. "You don't."

"I know that I won't stand for her to be defiant much longer. Of course, I can't deal with her myself until after your sister's wedding. Perhaps you should make some kind of appeal for her life. Not that you haven't proven how disgusting your sense of self preservation is before."

Ozai's last words enrage Zuko, and he forgets about tact or passivity. His fist nearly collides with Ozai's neck, but the Fire Lord seizes his arm and pushes it backwards. Zuko growls at the snapping sound; he is enraged and not hurt.

The Fire Lord looks at his son for a single heartbeat before throwing him to the floor.

Zuko glares after him with a thousand unsaid words on the tip of his tongue.

[X]

"Mai," Ozai says and she instantly knows he wants something.

They haven't spoken in three days, she thinks. "Yeah?"

She is lying down, and she did not think to close her legs or sit up politely when he walked in. His eyes do not linger from afar for long before he walks into the room and claims the seat across from her. Mai looks up, adjusting her posture slightly.

"We've captured an extremely important rebel. One who could threaten the peace I want so much to uphold," Ozai says and Mai nods halfheartedly. "Zuko is the only person who has information on her. I'd like for you to speak with him."

"We don't have much of a relationship," Mai replies as she sits up. She is trying desperately not to think about _rebels_, and not to remain trapped in rumination about June's stupid tattoo. "I don't know how I could do any better than you."

"You're pretty. He's attracted to you. Do it."

Mai is startled by his request, but she agrees to do it.

After dressing herself to Ozai's standards and demands, and walking across the palace, Mai is beginning to have second thoughts about this ridiculous mission. She is fairly certain that she holds zero power over Zuko, and that she isn't the best choice for this. Even if he _were _attracted to her, she doubts it would do much for Ozai's cause.

Then again, the Fire Lord clearly thinks that this is an effective route, if the jealous man is willing to ask his wife to flirt with his son in order to get even scraps of information.

"Mai," Zuko says bitterly and she glances up at him, pursing her lips. "It's nice to see you."

"Whatever," Mai replies, crossing her arms and remaining standing. She opens her mouth to give her excuse before realizing he is about to ask her something. "You want something from me. What is it?"

It is her saving grace; he knew what he wanted the moment she walked through that door.

Zuko hesitates, wishing he had the opportunity to think through his words more carefully.

"What even happened with you?" Zuko asks and Mai is perplexed by that. It isn't as if they are more than acquaintances. Once upon an eternity ago, Mai used to have a crush on him, but that was before he became a traitor, and before Mai knew she had to look out for herself.

"You're going to have to be more specific. I'm wearing a slightly different shade of eyeliner today," Mai says sarcastically and Zuko rubs his eyes. She studies him for a moment before sighing pointedly and sitting down across from him. "Really, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You were going to help the rebellion," Zuko says quietly and Mai shrugs. "Don't just _shrug it off _like that. Do you honestly not care at all about my father's obsessive plans?"

Mai shrugs again. "I honestly do not care about anything."

"Not the rebellion? Not anybody but yourself? Not starving people, or my father's plans?"

"Have I ever been passionate?" Mai asks, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "It isn't like you're much better than me. At least I'm not moping in my little gold cage and acting like I didn't let my mother die in exchange for myself. At least I could manipulate this war if I wanted to, and you gave any hope of that up to pretend to be self-righteous."

Zuko clenches his jaw. She begins to leave and he glares.

"You're the worst kind. You're the worst kind of traitor; you have every opportunity to help people, or to take real action with your political power, but you'd rather lie back and think of yourself."

Mai's hand brushes against her pocket and nearly grabs onto a blade before she decides he isn't worth it and walks away.

Zuko wants to feel guilty. But he can't.

[X]

It's an exciting super-fun awesome spa day, and Ty Lee could not be more cheery. She is smiling now as she forgets about how foreboding tomorrow is. She escaped the most discomfiting breakfast of her entire life and now is with the princess, ready to attempt relaxation and beautification.

Azula looks at the bouncy girl, and her thrilled, glimmering eyes at such a simple event. It is strange and intoxicating to the princess who has never seen anyone like that before.

"I'm really excited," Ty Lee says warmly as she surrenders herself into the hands of the girl taking her into a seat.

"Of course," Azula replies and Ty Lee wishes that she had said she was excited to. But the Monster of the West looks calm as could be and impassive about the ceremony.

Ty Lee winces as her knotted braid is tugged open by a profusely apologizing servant.

"Don't make my bride cry, girl," Azula snaps and Ty Lee smiles weakly at what seems to be a kind gesture. Or what she hopes is one.

_Katara bites back her scream as her hair is pulled backwards. She is being removed from her dim, grungy cell and they are not gentle as they rip her hair from the remainder of its Water Tribe braid._

_"Don't cry, girl," the brusque soldier orders and Katara snarls at him._

Once Ty Lee's hair is combed out and she quietly attempts small talk with a woman who is not very good at small talk, she is very gently moved to put it into the water, and she suddenly panics.

Azula does not snap at the servants; she laughs at Ty Lee's flinch. Her bride really is a colony trash girl who has never been properly groomed.

_Katara is not alarmed by being dunked into the cold water without a single word to prepare her. She thinks their methods might not be quite tailored to a waterbender._

_ After the soldiers pull her up and her gasp is so quick and quiet that her captor does not notice, they finish the job by splashing the ice water over her._

_ It does not make her flinch, because she is from the Southern Water Tribe, and they will have to do better than that._

Azula looks at her nails as they are sharpened. Ty Lee murmurs something about much preferring hers rounded and Azula smirks again.

"Why do you think this is funny?" Ty Lee wails at Azula playfully and the princess shrugs.

"Because it is. I've never seen a person so frightened of a nail file," Azula replies.

Ty Lee looks at the metal file that makes her feel uncomfortable when it grates against her nails.

_Katara is not afraid of the metal they have in front of her as an act of intimidation._

_ "Do you think this is funny?" snarls her captor and she nods._

_ "Yup, I do," Katara replies hoarsely, and he seizes her hand in a single motion of rage._

Ty Lee closes her eyes as the woman in charge curses, aggravated at the calluses on Ty Lee's feet. The old woman dips Ty Lee's foot into warm water, and it feels nice until she sees the scissors.

"What are you doing with those?" Ty Lee shouts before blushing bright red.

"Cutting these. Your feet are worse than an earthbender's," grumbles the crone as she snips the scissors and Ty Lee yanks her feet away.

Azula slowly shakes her head, looking at Ty Lee like she is an animal doing people things.

_Katara does not cry or complain when suture her wounds. She looks at the set of stitches, and the scissors lifting from them. The scissors move to her hair and begin to cut out the tangled knots in it, and she remembers being a little girl and avoiding brushing her hair for weeks until Gran-Gran had to chop it most of the way off._

_ Her head does feel lighter when it is done._

_ "You're not doing this in the most effective way," Katara says to the cold woman with the scarred nose. "Really."_

_ The woman snorts derisively, and declares to the guards behind her, "Oh, listen boys, she thinks she's people. How cute."_

_ Katara's eyebrow twitches._

Azula's fingertips brush against Ty Lee's damp skin as the day somehow comes to an end. Ty Lee feels peaceful and beautiful after her lengthy treatments.

"I feel really smooth, huh?" Ty Lee says with a grin.

"Yes, you do," Azula says softly as she moves her lips towards Ty Lee's damp neck. It makes the girl shiver slightly. "How do you feel?"

"Amazing," Ty Lee replies very honestly as Azula's lips move to Ty Lee's but she reconsiders when Azula's day planner walks in and demands their attention.

_"How do you feel?" asks Katara's captor as he pushes her back into her cell._

_ "Amazing," Katara snarls viciously, and he shakes his head slowly._

_ She isn't broken yet._

Azula and Ty Lee break apart for the remainder of the night, and Ty Lee feels a slight chill when she realizes that tomorrow is her wedding.

And Azula feels it too.

"Would you like to try... kissing?" Azula suggests awkwardly and Ty Lee has to quickly suck in air to keep from laughing uncontrollably. "Answer me."

"Yeah, okay." Ty Lee smiles and surrenders to the strange touch of their lips.

A bit awkward, but Ty Lee doesn't mind the fact that there are no sparks and rushes of excited heat that she thought there would be. Having a monster in her bed is so much more appealing than having one under her bed.

[X]

Zuko studies Mai in discomfort as she goes to see him again.

It is three in the morning on the day of Azula's wedding, and Mai has not slept.

Neither has Zuko.

Mai does not know why she came here, except for the fact that she is quietly angry about the fact that Zuko dared insult her choices. Dared to question her choosing wisely instead of being a total brash, impulsive hot-headed loser like him.

Okay, maybe Mai is a little more than angry about his accusations.

She is dressed for the wedding in formal clothes that Zuko stares at with a strange, uncanny sensation of looking at her. It does hit him then that his first crush, his first kiss, the first person he left behind when the choice was made for Zuko to escape the palace, is now the _Fire Lady._

Zuko feels uncomfortable, but he waits with as much composure as he can muster.

"I have been thinking about what you said," Mai says softly and Zuko breathes in.

"I'm really sorry. I just said that stuff because I was angry. You're..." Zuko rubs his face and wishes he could remedy this.

"Yeah, you're a jerk. But I do have the power to change things if I wanted to. I don't have any reason to. There's no one left I care about," Mai says earnestly and Zuko feels even worse. "Give me a reason and I will. Give me a reason worth losing what I ripped my own arms open and gave up my life for, and I will."

She means it. Mai does. To be honest, she has been thinking about it ever since Azula went to go see the Ruthless Sun. Her mind has been swimming with memories of tattoos from bar bets and the idea June went on and on about; she wanted to _go rogue_.

But then Mai's mother decided to try to overthrow the fucking empire, and Mai wound up as the Fire Lord's wife.

Going rogue was an exciting idea, but it was implausible even without what happened to Mai.

"You don't even have to do much. Just help me escape. Help me go free her and I can change everything," Zuko says breathlessly, _knowing _he has reminded Mai of what's really worth fighting for.

But Mai just says, "I'll think about it."

It isn't difficult for Zuko to figure out that she means _no _when she says that.

Mai doesn't think Zuko could change everything.

No one could.

[X]

Azula is opening her bottle of make-up remover as she gazes into the mirror, making seductive faces at herself. She admires her utter perfection as she prepares for bed so close to sunrise; she will do fine, even if she is being kept up all night by this.

Princess Azula is deserving of dominance, deserving of an empire being handed to her on a plate. And marrying Ty Lee gets her there.

The door opens and Azula looks up to see Mai. The Fire Lady looks slightly perturbed and is sweating, but Azula does not care, nor does she desire to discuss it.

"May I kiss the bride?" her stepmother asks as she invites herself in.

Princess Azula smirks, glad she left the door slightly ajar. Maybe she was hoping for this.

She probably was.

"Maybe," Azula purrs before turning around to face the girl in a loose silk bathrobe.

"Yes. You know that you want to," Mai says and Azula laughs faintly. "I outrank you."

"No, you absolutely do not," Azula replies, screwing the bottle shut again.

"No, I think that I do," Mai continues, shutting the door.

Azula can see a discomfort in Mai's eyes, but if Mai has nothing to say about it, neither does Azula. Feelings, compassion, hugging, and anything else in that genre of nauseating familial behavior are not welcome amongst the royals and never have been.

"Then why do you ask for the privilege of kissing the bride?" Azula bats her eyelashes and Mai rolls her eyes.

Mai does not bother with Azula and her need for her ego to be stroked constantly, and just presses their lips together fiercely. Azula grabs her by the hips.

And Mai slides into Azula's lap with a ferocity that has been vacant from their encounters for a long time. The passionate, hurried grasping, licking and moaning drowns out Azula's thoughts of the political importance of her wedding and allows Mai to forget her conversation with Zuko.

After the burning tryst, Azula removes herself from Mai very slowly, catching her breath. The Fire Lady gazes up at the girl straddling her with calm but satisfied eyes. Azula looks much less contented.

Azula has no comment on the sex, no words of goodnight, and so she slips away after the silence.

"Hey, uh, Azula," Mai says reluctantly, remaining expressionless becoming difficult. "I sometimes care about you."

"I sometimes care about you too."

[X]

Azula wakes up the day of the wedding with a woman other than her fiancee in bed with her and her body purring with afterglow. Mai had stayed, which is unusual for her. But they had been particularly passionate. Azula gets dressed and leaves the crime scene of their tryst as quickly as she can.

It will take the entire morning to prepare she and Ty Lee for their wedding.

And Azula cannot suffer through the entire morning with this unbearable tension in her.

Today is pivotal; today is more important to Azula's career than any of her military battles.

She walks as quickly as she can to her fiancée's bedroom before they will be forced apart for the preparations.

In her room, Ty Lee looks at the crown and bouquet of Tiger's Bride flowers and wonders if she will be killed for that display. The rest of the wedding is all based on the type of wedding she constantly fantasized about and carefully planned in leather-bound journals of parchment. She never told anyone how much she loves weddings, how much she wanted one.

It didn't seem fitting.

But now she looks at what she has and is thrilled, even though that makes her stomach twist with guilt. The flowers, however, make Ty Lee smiles faintly into the mirror despite her fears. She toys with the damp, fresh blossoms and thinks about how everything will be draped in the secret symbol of the Rebellion.

Ty Lee wants to imagine that she can make up for the executions by _decorating_.

Her door opens and she wonders if she should hide the crown, but that would not do much good. It's Azula anyway. Azula, whom is the life raft Ty Lee is happy to cling onto.

"I know I'm not supposed to see you before the ceremony, but I couldn't help myself," Azula says sweetly and Ty Lee smiles a dreamy smile that the pleases the princess. "I don't care much for following rules; I prefer making them."

"I'm so nervous I'm just going to literally explode everywhere!"

"That sounds messy," Azula replies smoothly and Ty Lee rubs her forehead. She looks cute, kind of like a koala-panda. And flustered.

Azula is so nervous she wants to jump out of the window and run away to go live in the forest amongst the animals. But she has been taught how to properly conceal emotion, and knows that every second of today is going to be vital for her political career.

"I'm just... I hope it goes well," Ty Lee says with a nervous laugh and a plastic smile.

"As do I. My career and your life hinge on our behavior today," Azula purrs and Ty Lee grimaces with wide eyes.

Azula kisses Ty Lee before the acrobat can start screaming uncontrollably and hyperventilating. Ty Lee can feel the princess trembling slightly, and realizes that the nerves are mutual.

The moment the kiss breaks is when the beginning of the end begins.


	11. Mother of the Bride

**Chapter Eleven: Mother of the Bride**

* * *

Azula breaks the kiss and is at a loss for words.

Because she is getting married, and she is getting married to the girl in front of her, whom is now focused on getting dressed. Azula walks towards the window and opens the curtains, having no idea why Ty Lee keeps the sunlight out of her room; she needs to clear her head before this pivotal event.

She had never quite imagined that it would _happen_; for years that have felt like an eternity to a sixteen year old she rejected every single girl her father chose. Yet, here she is standing on the edge of a one way descent into whatever political madness happens next.

There are positives. Azula thinks she really _likes _her, which is such an absurd thought that it is nauseating. Regardless of the fact that Azula chose Ty Lee solely because she was so malleable and sweet. Ty Lee looked easy ─ not _sex _easy, but _grooming into a political icon _easy ─ and Azula thought she was interesting enough.

On the other hand, there is a level of complexity that Azula has tried to avoid thinking about at all costs. This marriage could make or break her future regime, and she is uncertain how she should navigate it. Politics had always been easy...

But those politics were the ones of charming people and winning battles with her impressive firebending. These new ones are those of an imminent rebellion and an even more imminent second war that her father seems bent on starting.

(He claims to think that it will be a simple unification of the colonies but he cannot possibly believe that they would not resist violently. They are resisting violently without Ozai sending in soldiers to finish imperializing them.)

"Azula," Ty Lee interjects hastily, wondering why she lost her bride again. "Will you have breakfast with me? I think I'm gonna throw it all up if I don't have anybody to talk to."

Azula stares at Ty Lee, nods, tightens the tie that goes around her silk robe, and then walks in silence alongside her future bride towards the dining room. The tension between them burns and crackles and the discomfort is palpable. It certainly has everything to do with their brief conversation, but Azula cannot imagine that Ty Lee has no idea how important and unstable today is going to be.

But the odd moments of morning are half forgotten when they sit down for breakfast and Ty Lee begins to butcher fruit with shaky hands. She tells a few stories about weddings back home, and then tells one about how she got a Fire Nation wedding catalogue once and thought everything was so much better.

"Where did you get it?" Azula asks, the first words she has spoken this morning.

"Huh, well it was when this shop opened. It was the most exciting thing when a Fire Nation import shop opened up in my protectorate," Ty Lee says as she eats a very tiny slice of fruit. She has trouble swallowing it. "It was _amazing_. Everybody wanted to buy the things from there and wear the Fire Nation fashions and buy their stuff and their candy."

Azula shrugs and continues looking at the white foam swirling in her tea.

"Of course they were interested," she manages to contribute, but she could not care less.

"I got a Fire Nation dress. It was amazing and just my color and just my size and it was just..." Ty Lee closes her mouth. She was talking too fast and too excitedly for this early in the morning. "Me and other kids used to buy the stuff from there when we could and it was a huge status symbol. I think there was a black market for those little glass tea animals made out of volcano ash. They were green though. That's weird that volcano ash turns green when you make it into glass and not red or black or gold. Oh, oops, sorry. Anyway, I wore that dress every single day."

"And it was destroyed by the rebels?" Azula asks.

"Nope. I outgrew it and it got lost in my closet," Ty Lee replies with a bright smile and Azula cannot help but laugh.

"I was anticipating a much, much more depressing ending to that story." Azula smirks.

"Well, life is so _dark _lately," Ty Lee admits, shrugging and now fully abandoning the fruit she took so much time slicing. "I think a wedding is exactly what we all need to be really, really, really happy."

Azula brushes her hair out of her face and contemplates that for a moment. She has never been the biggest _fan _of weddings; they seem superfluous and often teeter towards the absurd. However, she can agree that things have been even darker, particularly after the mess with the Ruthless Sun at that factory.

They stare at each other for a few moments, and there is an uncomfortable yet inevitable sensation of warmth that flows through the both of them.

But they are interrupted with, "You two need to be separated to be prepared for the ceremony. It's only a few hours away," brightly says one of Azula's day planners, and the princess cocks an eyebrow at Ty Lee before standing up and striding away to be prepped for this _big day_.

Ty Lee gazes after her for too long.

[X]

Hours later, Ty Lee is bathed and sitting in front of a mirror with two girls tugging at her hair when her soon-to-be father-in-law invites himself in. He seems to have a habit of arriving like that; he brings a lurking fear with him into a room that makes Ty Lee's stomach churn. She feels a bit breathless, because she knows what he wants and what he is capable of.

"Hi-hi," Ty Lee stammers out, hoping that the greeting is satisfactory. Ozai seems to take it as such, and walks further into the light.

"I wanted to speak to you about a rather important role that is unfulfilled today," he says and Ty Lee looks up at him, her eyes rotund and curious. "It is only appropriate that your mother attends your wedding."

"My... what?" Ty Lee whispers.

Ozai looks at her as if she is being _stupid _somehow. "Your _mother_. The woman who gave birth to you? I think that she should be in attendance if not further involved."

_My mother is dead. You killed her_. Those would be the proper words, but Ty Lee does not know how to make them come out of her mouth. He cannot be saying that she is _actually_ alive.

"I've sent for her to come here and help you prepare for the wedding," Ozai says and he exits like an imagined shadow on a scary dark night.

Ty Lee thinks she is about to see a coffin, and it is not what she wants on the most important day of her entire life.

[X]

Mai wakes up with a foul taste in her mouth and her body overcome by the overwhelming sensation of malaise. Azula had been beside her, but Azula is gone now. Of course, that is unsurprising. _"May I kiss the bride?" _makes Mai feel hot, burning shame when she thinks about it_._

While Azula lay there in a pretty glowing slumber, Mai was tormented by memories of the rebels and her time with The Ruthless Sun. She slept poorly; she wakes poorly.

The Fire Lady swiftly stands up and stumbles briefly on her feet, before she manages to reach her beautiful bathroom. And there she feels the acidic bile rising in the back of her throat, and she gasps once to hold it back before she cannot stop it.

Her stomach convulses, she gags and she can barely breathe as she hurls up her dinner.

Mai looks up and clenches her jaw as she tries to find mouthwash.

Fuck Zuko and his self righteousness. Fuck all of the rebels who are making her unable to shut off the conflicted thoughts. Fuck her body and how nauseated, miserable, tired and sore the idea of false choices makes her feel.

There is no free will and she would deeply appreciate it if her body and old friends were able to receive that message.

[X]

Across the palace, as Azula gazes in the mirror, ogling herself while she undergoes the grooming, she has a sharp realization about the necklace her father gave her. He already gave it to her, weeks ago on Mai's birthday. She does not know why she did not recognize it, save for perhaps the fact that her father buys her jewelry for no good reason.

She recalls Ty Lee's reaction to her own gift. Azula closes her eyes and tries to think of anywhere she could have seen this, or why she is so able to remember it. Why it makes her heart skip.

Paintings. The paintings in her father's secret gallery. Paintings.

That's where she saw this necklace. It was on a princess from some fable about tiger-monkeys and illicit affairs. A dry and rather boring painting, but one Azula had stared at enough to remember the sharp, visible brush strokes as if it were painted in a great hurry.

"Are you okay, princess?" is the nervous squeak of her stylist's assistant.

"Yes. I had forgotten you existed and preferred it that way. Please do not speak to me again."

Azula leans back, relieved to see the fear of the serving girl.

[X]

Ty Lee cannot believe her eyes, nor can she find the words to say when her mother walks through the door. They both stare silently and Ty Lee sees how sallow her mother's skin is, how bony she is, how... _different _her eyes are. She looks a little like a corpse, but she _isn't one _and Ty Lee does not know how to react.

"You're my daughter," her mother says and Ty Lee is uncertain who she is speaking to or what she means. "I... I shouldn't miss helping you get ready for your wedding. Let me start the bath."

Ty Lee watches her mother, mute, as she begins to draw a bath.

Her mother says nothing about the fact that Ty Lee was under the impression she was dead, nor does she mention the choice room. Ty Lee does not ask, because she is not stupid.

They take their moments together, silent, nothing, nothing to be said. Ty Lee slips into the bath and bursts into tears.

"You have to smile," her mother says softly. "You have the most beautiful smile."

Ty Lee smiles but it quickly fades away as she sobs.

[X]

Ty Lee is halfway through her preparations, and her mother is currently talking to the dress designer as if this were ordinary. As if they were not both prisoners. Ty Lee steps outside, knowing that the Fire Lord has to be waiting after that stunt with her mom.

And she is right. Of course he is.

"Do you want to talk to me now?" Ty Lee whispers as she wipes tears from under her eyes and puts on her best smile. And it is a good one; Ozai almost believes it is real.

"No. I do believe in you very much at this point. I've been testing you for a long time, and you've done admirably."

"That's a first," Ty Lee chokes out and then tacks on a giggle. "My average test score in school was a thirty." Pause. "Out of a hundred, you know?"

"All you have to do today is look pretty and very happy. That should be extremely easy."

He is gone and Ty Lee is ushered into a room to be bathed and decorated.

Ty Lee was enjoying herself earlier, thrilled but scared. But _now _she has realized that Azula _lied to her_. There is no way Azula did not know about her mom.

That is...

That is so much worse than Ozai.

Somehow, despite Ty Lee attempting to hide from it, the sun keeps moving across the sky, the birds keep singing, the wind whistling and the day steadily marching towards the wedding ceremony.

* * *

The firecrackers make Ty Lee worry that the flowers will burn.

They _are _beautiful, and Ty Lee loves the bursts of color and snaps of sound. It feels a bit like walking onto a field of battle, she realizes with slight distaste. But she shakes off that thought as her mother gently takes her by the hand.

Her mother's hands are thin, bones sticking out, her skin coarse. Ty Lee knows that there is so much her mom must not be allowed to tell her, and it is made clear by the evidence of her mistreatment wherever she was held captive.

Ty Lee finds the music and intros to be such a blur. There are so many people in the audience, so much superfluous political bravado, that she can barely keep up with the ceremony and make sure she is doing the right thing. Standing across from Azula is uncomfortable for more reasons than one.

Firstly, her new wife looks unenthused save for when she glances charismatically at the public. Secondly, her new wife is a liar and Ty Lee wishes she did not feel so disgusted about it.

She looks around at the Tiger's Bride flowers and how they cover everything with the most glorious hues of orange and red that Ty Lee has ever seen. It is so vibrant, and happy, and the entire crowd that has more people than Ty Lee can fathom are all so joyous. It is a sunny day, the music is perfect, the air smells amazing, she feels as radiant as the sun, and all she can think about is how dark this is beneath the happy surface.

Ty Lee's smile now is genuine as she looks at the tea lights and perfect set up, and everything as she always dreamed. Her flawless, glittering red dress that draws every eye in the world to focus on her is more perfect than the weddings that existed only in her fantasies.

She says her vows with purpose.

Her lines are easy and her sighs of love are real, even if they aren't directed at Azula but at the materialistic glory of the royal wedding. She only falters in her smooth flow when she flinches at the sight of the orange hot brand. Foolishly, she pulls her arm away from the metal that the Fire Sage is trying to press against her skin, but she quickly remembers herself and offers her arm up. She clenches her fist to try to hide the shaking fear.

It hurts, Ty Lee thinks, but she does not pay that much mind.

That was probably a good move, to continue her pretty plastic smile as the hot fire seared into her wrist. But it was not to make herself look good; it was because she cannot think about _anything _save for her mother.

And how the woman in front of her did not say a word about it.

She examines the fresh mark on her skin and it is extremely unattractive and painful. Through the irritation and burn she can see the lines of a symbol not marking her as property of the Royal Family, but marking her as _one of _the Royal Family. It makes her feel conflicted before her neck snaps up and she remembers to focus on the ceremony.

Because it is the more beautiful than Ty Lee could have ever imagined.

[X]

Ty Lee talks to the guests, even though she does not remember any of their names. She flashes big grins when she does not know what to say, which is very often, and she holds wine in her hand that she has not yet touched.

Her happiness, however, is poisoned by her mother and how she sits at Ty Lee's table, smiling weakly up at her daughter once or twice. No one seems to notice that mother looks like a wraith, or that her mother is trying to strike up a conversation with Mai. It does not work so well.

It has loomed over her like a storm cloud; Azula lied and Ty Lee is livid. Ozai lied and Ty Lee should have expected that, but she thought her _mom was dead because of her_. How could anyone inflict that on another human being? Ty Lee just can't understand it.

Nor can she imagine how Azula would _actually _care about her and not tell her about that. Not tell her about her mother.

And Azula is across the room playing diplomat after giving Ty Lee a few very public kisses. But slowly, Azula drifts towards her.

"Did you forget about me on our wedding?" Ty Lee asks in a teasing tone, but Azula sees through it.

Azula touches Ty Lee's back and kisses her hard on the lips. Ty Lee screams into Azula's mouth before she realizes that the princess is guiding her to an alcove surrounded by decorative plants. No one notices them there, and, thankfully, no one seems to be looking for them either.

"What is it?" Azula whispers. The tiny pocket they are hiding in casts dark shadows over Azula's heavily made-up face.

"It's about _you_ and you being a liar," Ty Lee hisses under her breath as she grabs her new wife's arm. Azula bites her lower lip. "Do you see that woman over there?"

Ty Lee nods towards their nearly vacant table.

"You mean your mother?" Azula asks so innocently that Ty Lee nearly knocks her onto the floor of the ballroom.

"_Yes I mean my mother_." She has to close her teeth as she whispers it so that the entirety of the attendees do not hear her. "I thought she was dead."

Pause. Azula blinks and smoothly transitions into, "Well, that's a wonderful wedding gift, isn't it?"

Ty Lee's face is redder than her wedding dress and Azula is thinking as quickly as she can about how to remedy this situation. She _thought _she had the upper hand with her information, but clearly she was mistaken. She knows it is not her father undermining her, seeing as he would have no idea about what Councilor Hoang confided in her, yet it is still troubling.

Ozai has no reason to reveal Ty Lee's mother on the day in which Ty Lee will be most malleable and excited about joining their family. The girl is _obsessed _with weddings and Azula cannot comprehend why he would play this tile so fast.

She glances over her shoulder and Ty Lee narrows her eyes before quickly batting her eyelashes and attempting to resume her _glow_. It is not going so well.

"Did you know?" Ty Lee demands and Azula looks genuinely shocked by it, and quickly covers her expression to preserve pride.

Ty Lee suppress a sigh of relief.

"No," Azula whispers, setting down her drink on the hard dirt of a potted plant. It teeters for a split second but steadies right before Azula and Ty Lee both meet eyes. "If I had known don't you think I would have told you? I told you about your father before we even went through a single rite."

Ty Lee gazes at her feet and takes a deep breath through her sore mouth. Azula is right and Ty Lee cannot believe she just attacked her bride like that.

"Will you dance with me?" Ty Lee asks demurely and Azula acquiesces in an instant.

They spin in silence, hidden in plain sight, as the day drags on long into the night without the wedding celebration even nearing an end.

[X]

At the palace, under tight guard despite the mandatory viewing of the wedding, Prince Zuko is in the shadows.

He gazes intently at the paper in front of him.

It is from Councilor Hoang and he was not expecting such intervention. The man has allegiance to every single person who could ever give him a political boost, and Zuko is at a great disadvantage compared to his father and sister.

Maybe he should not trust it. But it is about Katara, and his other friends.

It is about an _escape plan_, which Zuko thinks is somewhat idiotic but he cannot help but feel his hopes rise within him. What is he supposed to do with this information? What would anybody do when offered freedom but not sure what to do with it?

On top of the note, from the same sealed envelope, is a note from Katara. He wishes he could believe in its authenticity, but he is not certain.

She says she has copied the same one for the others who are in Caldera. She says that the wedding is going to be their only chance since the entire city has their eyes on the princesses instead of the peasants and prisoners.

But he doesn't know.

He doesn't know and this choice torments him almost as much as the one that destroyed his life.

Zuko wishes he had his uncle to choose for him.

[X]

As the reception reaches its midway point, Ty Lee sits with her mom and tries to get over her shame, anger and humiliation about her presence. About her mom's refusal to even give Ty Lee a hint about what happened.

"How do you feel about the wedding night?" mother asks and Ty Lee had almost forgotten.

Ty Lee grimaces. "Okay..." Ty Lee trails off and averts her gaze. Mai is watching them. "Azula has been really amazingly patient about waiting until marriage." Ty Lee smiles because that compliment is true.

She kind of was pretending that the wedding night wouldn't exist.

No one has bothered to remark on it, but Ty Lee imagines that it cannot be _too _different from the protectorates. And a wedding night in the protectorates including actions and obligations that Ty Lee is still very not certain about.

Ty Lee rips the last petal out of the Tiger's Bride that was previously decorating her mostly empty table.

Mom replies, "Well, marriage starts after this dreadfully long ceremony."

Ty Lee looks up at her and her mom seems _puzzled _by her parted lips and concerned expression.

"I'll go get us drinks. The waiter hasn't been around in ages," mom says hastily and Ty Lee has to force herself to stop glaring.

As soon as mom leaves, "You're not as disgustingly bubbly as usual," Mai remarks, sitting down by Ty Lee and leaning back quite confidently.

Ty Lee grimaces. "I'm nervous and that is _totally fine_."

"I heard you and your mom. It was so awkward." Mai shrugs and Ty Lee glances around for Azula to no avail. She cannot find Ozai either and none of the guests seem interested in her anymore. That makes her livid before Mai distracts her again. "So, what is it about the sex that concerns you?"

"That's ridiculous and you are horrible and stop teasing me about Azula so _mean _and stuff just because you're jealous," Ty Lee snaps shrilly.

Mai contemplates protesting but decides that it isn't worth her time. "I called it. I've been calling it. You think you're only into boys."

Ty Lee forgets to hold her tongue and be the good girl icon her father in law made her promise to be. "I don't _think that_. I _know that_."

Mai yawns very pointedly and Ty Lee nearly jabs her with the point of her dinner knife. "Are you attracted to Azula?"

"It isn't a case by case basis," Ty Lee says through her slightly bared teeth, one of her fists clenched.

"I'm pretty sure that on a certain night you enjoyed yourself. Maybe you won't even go back to boys once she's done with you."

"That is a horrible thing to say!" Ty Lee squeals and _now _she is beginning to draw the attention of her guests again. But a very timely wedding speech from someone Ty Lee does not recognize begins, and the stares stop.

"I don't know why it is." Mai shrugs. "If you're ever sick of it, just have a baby."

"That is also a horrible suggestion!" Ty Lee thinks she might die of a heart attack before her wedding ceremony is even over.

"I'm only suggesting it. I'm also only slightly drunk. I hate weddings." Mai looks... queasy. Ty Lee had been curious about it, but she supposes she chalks it up to alcohol.

"I _love weddings_," Ty Lee says in a voice like artificial sugar.

"Which is why you're sulking in the corner, of course." Mai swallows a gag that has been summoned by her lack of interest in mocking Ty Lee. _Ugh, screw everyone_.

They are interrupted before Ty Lee can bite viciously by the next speech. The others Ty Lee had swooned appropriately to (okay, she really, really loved them and they were so flattering and cute) but this one holds her attention. It is her father-in-law, which must mean they are about halfway through by now.

Ty Lee's stomach lurches. She looks at her crumpled and smoothed speech and assumes Azula will do a much better job than her. That might be good, though; the less threatening Ty Lee is the better. Ozai? Ozai is threatening without even meaning to.

"... and I would like to make an announcement about my daughter and her wife's honeymoon," he says and Ty Lee perks up. Azula said she didn't know the location; Ty Lee hopes for the beach. "They will be visiting the Colony Kingdom itself to experience its hospitality and share what the loyal citizens are unable to partake in here."

Ty Lee realizes her mouth is open and quickly closes it. That _can't _end well. They'll be _killed_.

"Well, and then finish off on Ember Island, of course. It's awfully cold in the Colony Kingdom..." He begins into some buzzwords about the unification that is really going to just be invading places that were already invaded.

But this is so much more delicate than soldiers. This is something... _else_.

People might be laughing, or might not and Ty Lee's heart pounds. She looks around wildly for Azula and cannot find her to see how she should be reacting.

"Azula," she croaks, and it might have been louder than she thought because Azula instantly appears, emerging from the crowd and walking towards Ty Lee.

Her wife does look beautiful, but she does not look unnerved either. She did not look unnerved about Ty Lee's mother... or anything else.

Ty Lee is torn.

One part of her thinks Azula is a cruel liar; the other part of her thinks Azula is her true love.

Can someone be both?


	12. Scarlet Letters

**Chapter Twelve: Scarlet Letters**

* * *

Katara does not know how it happens, but it does.

She is moving between cellblocks when the shrill sound pierces the air. The guards drop her with yelps of pain, their heads splitting and their thoughts long gone. But Katara perks up, despite the agonizing sound that feels like it is popping her eardrums, and begins to run.

The handcuffs are uncomfortable, but she begins to forget about them as she dashes up the stairs wrapping around the stone building and leading to the roof. Once she reaches it, she teeters on the edge for a moment. She will need incredible aim to land in the bushes, if that will even break her fall. It isn't _that _far of a leap; it's not deadly, but it could break a few bones.

Katara begins to reconsider before she hears the shouts of guards behind her and the sound begins to recede. She jumps. She can feel the horror of weightlessness for a few minutes before she hits the bushes with a thud and one crack. She hisses in pain through her teeth; her right arm is definitely not still intact. But when she hears the footsteps and the sound disappears, she silences herself and sinks into the verdant leaves.

She _refuses _to be caught.

Meanwhile, in a beautiful bedroom, Ty Lee stands as still as a statue and wonders what she should do with her body. She tends to shift position nonstop, or mirror the people around her, in order to hide the constant insecurity that results in her blatant overconfidence. But there is not anyone, and she is standing with her nightgown loose around her.

The red scarves are already on the bed and the ties are very impressive. Ty Lee wonders if someone has that job, and it makes her giggle out loud because for some reason it is an extremely silly image. Even though it probably is not.

She imagined where they would wind up would be more awkward. There is decent privacy here, enough to pretend that they aren't about to embark on a very politically sensitive honeymoon. Azula is elsewhere, getting ready probably.

Ty Lee changed a thousand times, shaved her legs twice, wasn't really sure what she is supposed to do since no one is here to guide her. There has always been _someone _every step of the way, but not this night.

"I'm not sure how this is supposed to work," Azula says and Ty Lee jumps, startled. She did not know that her wife was waiting.

All Ty Lee wishes she had was a little more time. But her time has run out and now she is facing a beast to slay that is not the last one. She cannot imagine a world in which the royal court does not feel more like a pit of viper-bats.

And now she is the wife of a future empress.

"I presume we're supposed to tie these somehow," Azula continues and Ty Lee just nods.

Azula holds out one hand and it takes Ty Lee a few moments too long to realize that Azula is requesting Ty Lee's assistance in doing it.

Well, here goes nothing.

An hour later, Suki is picking the lock on Katara's handcuffs.

"We knew it was the right time. The Royal Wedding is going on and attendance is mandatory."

"There were guards."

"Well, watching dangerous war criminals is also mandatory. They were back-ups, though. People who weren't really trained."

"That _screeching _would have stopped even the best," Katara protests.

"That wasn't us," Sokka says slowly and her eyes widen.

"The spirits are on our side, I guess." Suki shrugs. "We need to find Zuko and get out of here. We've found the perfect escape back to the Colony Kingdom."

"What escape?" Katara asks quietly.

"Well, there are royal ships out in the harbor, and we've found out that the princesses are headed to the protectorates for their honeymoon."

"We're _not _stowing away on their ship."

"No. We're not. There are three ships accompanying them for security and whatever other reasons. We're stowing away on one of those."

"Oh." Katara has no other words for that insane idea.

"We have your Painted Lady costume," Suki adds.

Katara likes that information better.

Meanwhile, Ty Lee is finally bound.

Azula moves towards her with slight uncertainty.

No one prepared her for this, or told her what she is supposed to do. They _should have_. At some point between nitpicking how she holds bouquets or the type of smile to give the guests they should have at least put forth a few guidelines for the wedding night.

They did this the night of Mai's birthday, but it was messy, confused, fumbling fast in the dark and hoping for the best. Right now is supposed to be an important rite of passage and Azula wishes that someone had taken the time to explain it to her.

Azula just puts her knees on the bed and sits there for a moment. Ty Lee did not know that Azula could _be _awkward, but she seems to be as nervous as Ty Lee is.

"So, I'm going to…" _start doing this? _Azula has no idea what she is saying or doing.

Ty Lee nods very hesitantly. She never has been in such an awkward situation, and that makes everything that is happening right now as far from sexy as it gets. Ty Lee cannot stop thinking about her lack of trust for Azula, and her fear, and her mother being downstairs and maybe in trouble.

Azula has kissed her on the navel and she shivers slightly. That feels good. She has done this before. Azula kisses her between the ribs. That feels good. She has done this before.

She kisses Ty Lee's clavicle and that feels the best. That elicits a moan from her lips and Azula smirks. Azula undresses her rather slowly, rather uncomfortably, but it does manage to work. She kisses Ty Lee's skin until she is warm and flushed and decides that she very badly wants this and that she had no idea that the Monster of the West could touch someone like that.

The cold nails running across her skin make Ty Lee shiver. Azula reaches towards the red scarves to rip the bonds off, but she changes her mind as she drags her lips across her new wife's inner thigh. That is pleasurable and it hurts at the same time even if Azula is just gentle.

And then Ty Lee kind of screams and then feels embarrassed and then quickly forgets that embarrassment when she is overwhelmed by the lips and tongue on her clit and _okay this definitely feels good no matter if Azula is a liar or a girl._

It is after Ty Lee is beginning to melt that Azula pulls away and begins to untie the scarves. Ty Lee tears at them; it is impossible for them to go fast enough now. Their lips crush together and Azula's breasts push against her own and she thinks it might be good but still not quite as good as she thinks it is for Azula which is extremely confusing.

All Ty Lee knows is that the hands exploring her body are perfect but intimidating. All Azula knows is that she has completely control of the insanely beautiful woman who is now completely hers. She promised to wait until marriage and she is _beyond done waiting_.

Ty Lee fumbles slightly with her fingers and so Azula takes the liberty of guiding her through this. She _wants _the pleasure and Ty Lee cannot do it; she isn't exactly as experienced as Mai and Azula is afraid to break her like some pretty slave girl. It's slow at first, but once Ty Lee catches on, the kissing and biting and squeezing all works out into a frantic frenzy of utter perfection.

Azula takes a slow breath and Ty Lee's eyes follow the arch of her back. It is aesthetically beautiful, but she is not sure if the pulsating wet heat is from the direct stimulation or the image of Azula's before her. Ty Lee does not have much time to think about it as Azula guides her hand lower, her knuckles lightly grazing her new wife's skin.

Ty Lee can do the next part. It's not exactly complex.

As her eyelids flutter, she pushes her hips into Ty Lee's hand at the same pace as her fingers and this is exhilarating to both of them. The moonlight illuminates ivory skin that glistens with sweat and Ty Lee thinks she does quite like the show and the moaning that she is somehow causing by slamming her fingers into her in a way she isn't quite sure of, but comes too naturally.

Ty Lee has never quite felt anything as exciting as making the Dragon of the West come. And scream like that.

They lie together, tangled in soaked sheets, in utter silence. The sex was _nothing _like the awkward night of Mai's birthday dinner, but the aftermath feels much like it.

"Was that good for you?" Azula asks at last. "I know you were worried about… with a girl. I didn't think I was pressuring you or forcing you, but if I was…"

"It was more than good. Way better than with boys." Ty Lee hopes that last part isn't overkill. On one hand, Azula could do things that no one had ever done in a barn or shack or by a babbling brook. On the other, there are certainly some things that those rough peasant boys could do that even this dazzling deity cannot.

Not to mention Ty Lee's twisting feelings inside about how different she can see that it is for Azula. They don't feel the same. Does nobody feel the same? Ty Lee just doesn't know, but she welcomes the arms around her.

She and Azula are close now, and Ty Lee feels safe in the arms of the most bloodthirsty and lethal person alive.

And to Azula? Being here with Ty Lee feels _right_.

And to Katara, being the Painted Lady feels _right_.

Katara has never felt a better sensation than wearing that hat, that beautiful dress made of scavenged fabric, and the paint on her cheeks. The Painted Lady gives people hope; the scrawny Water Tribe girl pretending to be her is just another nobody who dreams of freedom.

She leaps onto the rooftops of the palace and runs. Night has fallen, the reception is in progress, and Katara's way is lit only by starlight. The moon is rotund and she can feel its power surging through her veins.

Katara finds the proper entrance and shimmies down into it.

Her eyes narrow on the shadowy hallway leading to Zuko, and she melts into the darkness.

* * *

When Fire Lord Ozai discovers the absence of his son he immediately kills the guards who were supposed to be keeping him under lock and key. The rage simmers for too long before he manages to calm himself and realize that the important objective is recapturing the disgraced Prince Zuko before he begins his _Blue Spirit _antics again.

Ozai has already met with his advisors by sunrise and has plans underway to scour the nearby wilderness for Zuko and he has set an unimaginably high bounty on his head. He now can only wait and pace in his office and go over the files from the factory for the thousandth time in hopes of scrounging up _some _information on the Painted Lady.

She had been sighted last night. Zuko escaped last night.

That is not a coincidence.

Meanwhile, across the palace, Mai is in pain beyond her hangover headache. It has spread, and she thinks she might have broken her spine. And kind of like her stomach is trying to murder her.

She does not like it. She does not think that this is just the rebels making her question her life choices anymore. Could she have developed a conscience and it has become so overwhelmed by her amorality that it has just decided to kill her?

Mai very slowly rises from her bed and sees the red on the sheets that is certainly not wine; it is blood. She does not want to admit what she knows this looks like to her. She cannot because it is not something she can express.

But she goes to find him anyway, inviting herself into his office.

"I think I'm dying," Mai says very calmly and the Fire Lord just looks at her. She clenches her jaw at the stabbing sensation in her lower abdomen. "I said I think I'm dying. I want a doctor to look at me."

Ozai cracks his knuckles. "I am _slightly _more concerned about my missing pathetic excuse for a son," he growls.

"I said I think I'm dying." There is pain in her voice now, and _panic_. That is enough for him to realize that he should probably not brush aside whatever ache is bothering her.

"Why do you think you're dying?" he asks too slowly and she has the sudden to slit his throat.

Mai gets very quiet, instead of enraged. His eyes are so focused on her that she feels her skin prickle.

"I don't think I'm dying," she admits softly.

[X]

Azula and Ty Lee know nothing of Zuko's escape as they are escorted to the Caldera docks by a swath of soldiers. They just feel the nerves of being sent into a land filled with people who have every reason to kill them.

"I will be spearheading your honeymoon," Councilor Hoang says and Azula does not bother to hide her smirk. "You also have Lo and Li so don't get _so _excited about my marvelous presence. It's a very delicate celebration and must be treated as such. All precautions have been taken for your safety, we will begin with the Zuanshi Protectorate after the three-day voyage. I hope you two enjoyed your wedding night."

He winks at them and they do not know how to respond.

They just allow themselves to be ushered aboard and settle in to their lodgings. Ty Lee stands uncomfortably as she stares at the bed as if it is an alien contraption.

"What is it?" Azula asks and then she closes her mouth. Ty Lee doesn't think they should sleep together, despite being _newlyweds_.

"If you're more comfortable, I can sleep in the chair," Ty Lee whispers and Azula can see through her words. _I would be more comfortable sleeping in the chair_, she says and Azula wonders if they should discuss their wedding night.

But no. No. No. No. Azula craves control and she deserves it, especially after her father has decided to force her onto a _Honeymoon Tour _and use her wife as political puppet.

"I'm much more comfortable sleeping beside you."

End of discussion.

* * *

Three days later, Ty Lee is overwhelmed by the Zuanshi Protectorate.

Azula has to admit that she is mildly impressed by it.

They have pulled out all of the stops for the Honeymoon Tour, as a protectorate with strong loyalty to the homeland. There are so many beautiful things, as if a fancy ball had burst in the streets and continued on cracked and dirty pavement. The banners of flowers are the best part, Ty Lee thinks. Or maybe how all of the gemstones sparkle.

This place is much nicer than the Shanxi Taun Protectorate has ever been. Ty Lee is engrossed as she walks to a stage and feels the warm lights against her skin. She stares out at the sea of excited people and none of them seem to hate her for betraying her Colony Kingdom heritage.

It does smell a bit too much like fish. But the scent of festival food overwhelms it with cinnamon and happy memories.

She grabs Azula's hand and squeezes it excitedly. _This _is the life that Ty Lee dreamt of when she first started courting The Monster of the West.

"Do you hear them screaming our names?" Ty Lee whispers, her hot breath tickling Azula's neck.

"Yes. You'll get used to it."

"I love it," Ty Lee breathes.

Azula parts from her and walks to address the crowd with ease. Ty Lee goes over her lines in her head over and over again. She hopes she can remember them; she wishes she had the stunning talent for public speaking that Azula has.

When Ty Lee walks up to say her part, she sees something strange. Amongst the ocean of faces admiring her, she sees the very distinct lips of someone mouthing _liar _at her with smoldering eyes. But when she blinks, they are gone, and she clears her throat to recite the words she is supposed to say.

Azula touches her waist and Ty Lee exhales slowly through her mouth.

_Liar_. Ty Lee still does not trust Azula after the ordeal with her mother. _Liar_. Ty Lee still cannot figure out if Azula can both be her every dream and worst nightmare at once. _Liar_. Ty Lee doesn't know if she can trust Azula. _Liar_. Ty Lee does not know if she can trust herself.

Ty Lee's thoughts are interrupted as she is nudged towards the lengthy process of greeting the huge crowd individually.

[X]

Azula feels a flood of relief as her advisor at last allows her to retire to her chambers after the chaotic public relations excursion.

The Governor's Mansion is quite nice, Azula must admit. It has most of the amenities that she requires, even if she does feel like a peasant when she has to sort her own belongings. The lack of servants is appalling; they _all_ have to work on the upcoming feast instead of making themselves useful to the guests of honor.

"I can put away your clothes," Ty Lee says sweetly and Azula glances up at her.

"There is no need for you to degrade yourself in such a way," Azula snaps and Ty Lee recoils. "But, if you would enjoy doing that for me, go right ahead."

Azula drops her armful of clothes in front of her new wife, and Ty Lee swiftly picks them up and begins to sort by color and level of prettiness.

"You like parties, don't you?" Azula asks as she sits down at the foot of their bed. It is quite comfortable; Azula thinks that she might be able to tolerate at least this portion of the Honeymoon Tour.

"I _love _parties," Ty Lee says with a dreamy sigh. She finishes with Azula's clothes and leans against the dresser. She is directly across from the woman she still has trouble being close to after their wedding night, directly across from the woman she is trying so hard to impress as a new wife…

And Azula does not look at her any differently. She seems to regard Ty Lee the same way she did before they tied and untied knots together, and Ty Lee wonders perpetually if she is doing something wrong. She also wonders if it is Azula who is wrong, but she always drives those thoughts away as quickly as possible. They are dangerous.

Ty Lee hurries into their bathroom with the intent of arranging their toiletries, but instead she screams and drops both bags. She scampers back so quickly that her back collides with the wall.

"What is it?" Azula demands and the room lights up bright cerulean from her fire.

Her eyes widen in shock as she sees the small basket. It looks like the type a baby would be left on a doorstep inside of, but it is filled with slithering, hissing, scaly spider-snakes. They taste the air and Azula sees their forked tongues before the scarlet writing on the basket.

_**LIARS**_. That one word chills Azula and Ty Lee to the bone.

"Who left this? How did they get in here?" Ty Lee stammers after managing to catch her breath. Her heart pounds and her throat is sore, but those are the least of her concerns. "Is that blood?"

Ty Lee knows that she can defend herself, but she also knows that she has painted a target on her own chest by enjoying her wedding and all of the beautiful parties thrown in her honor. _I love parties_. And her people are starving as she visibly forgets them and giggles like a fool on stage.

"I have no idea. I will speak to my Chief of Security and Councilor Hoang as soon as I can," Azula says smoothly, managing to pretend that she is not just as unnerved as her trembling wife.

"Are we gonna be okay?" Ty Lee whispers, her eyes wide and sparkly.

"I'll protect you. And I saw you in that factory. You'll be fine; your military record makes that clear," Azula purrs before gently touching Ty Lee's arm and pressing their lips together.

The kiss feels weird. Not bad, just weird.

Once it breaks, they try to ignore the scarlet letters and focus on their honeymoon.

[X]

After finally leaving their lodgings, the leaders of the protectorate and the two brides gather for the feast.

The food is… strange. Ty Lee found the Caldera food to be similar enough to home, although it had a few different spices and some meat that was hard to place. But none of the food laid out on the wide table is familiar beyond similar shapes and distinguishable ingredients.

She reaches for what she thinks is a cherry, and barely hides her disgust when she pops it into her mouth and finds out that it tastes like an _olive_.

The fish is copious; this protectorate is by the sea, after all. Azula never liked seafood, and she is strongly displeased with her father not bothering to tell anyone who planned this event. And so she sits with a bowl of the olive-cherries or whatever they are and eats them with the eyes of a moderately aggravated dragon.

The boy to the left of Azula, who had been locked in conversation with his date, asks, "Have we offended you, princess?" in his colony trash accent and she forces herself to focus on her future empire.

"No. It isn't any of your business what I am eating, but I will have you know I dislike fish of any kind." Azula waits for a beat as the boy looks around and then grimaces. Yes, _he _has noticed what Azula's accompaniment has not.

"The entertainment will be great," he says uncomfortably. "We set up the whole labyrinth tonight for your presence."

"Labyrinth?" Ty Lee asks, her eyes lighting up. Her breath catches when she realizes she is letting herself glow at the words of a boy, and last time that happened, Azula had his throat ripped out.

"Yeah," he says as Ty Lee hastily sets her hand on Azula's knee. "It's this big show. Tons of violence. Uh, some acting and singing too, if that's more your thing, princess."

He smiles at Ty Lee. Azula sizes him up and decides that the buck toothed colony trash boy is no competition.

Azula makes the toast. Ty Lee watches her and watches everyone in the room.

Somewhere out there is the person who snuck into the most secure room in the Colony Kingdom and left a basket of spider-snakes for the liar princesses.

It scares her.

[X]

The politicians from the Zuanshi Protectorate guide the princesses and their procession to the stands of a colosseum, and Azula is intrigued. As she settles beside Ty Lee and reclines in her temporary throne, she gazes out at the labyrinth and the plans for the peasant show.

She has the best seat in the house to watch whatever is about to unfold in front of her. There are cages for the condemned, creatures, vague memories of the Fire Nation's war that ended long ago. It looks like an elaborate show, like a play, except people die.

Ty Lee doesn't think she will like it, but the fireworks begin to burst and a cute girl has handed her a crown of flowers. She knows that these people just want her to be happy, and returning the favor is much more important than worrying about spider-snakes and Painted Ladies.

She glances at her wife and sees that Azula has two fingers on her lips as she leans back. Ty Lee gazes at how deep in thought she seems and wonders what is going on in her brilliant mind. Whether it is something horrid or beautiful, Ty Lee just wants to _know_.

"What's on your mind?" Ty Lee whispers and Azula straightens her posture, sighing as she turns to Ty Lee.

"This is the sign of a dying empire," Azula says coldly and Ty Lee furrows her brow. "It's a bloody pageant that serves only the purpose of sadistic distractions from what is going on outside."

Ty Lee does not truly understand what that means. But she nods and pretends to get it.

"Yeah… it's bad," Ty Lee attempts, blushing light pink.

Azula looks her up and down. "It's bad for the empire; it's good for me." She leans back again.

"But it's your empire…" Ty Lee's eyes sparkle as she tilts her head slightly.

"It's an empire in need of someone to repair it. I feel that I am suitable for the job."

Azula returns to the chair that she sits on like a throne, and Ty Lee swallows.

She has just realized exactly why she scares Ozai. Because Azula scares him, and Ty Lee has realized that her mother was right; there is power in submission.

The tides can turn very fast in this sea of liars.


	13. The Secrets of the Worlds

**_A/N: _**_I borrowed one of the opening moments from Mass Effect 2, I openly admit. It just worked so well with what I was already writing for the scene that I couldn't resist the homage. There's also, as often, a reference to Catching Fire in the chapter, but this is peppered with references to The Hunger Games and other dystopian fiction so it's probably not surprising by now._

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: The Secrets of the Worlds**

* * *

Suki walks away from the ship, Katara, Zuko and Sokka in tow. She leads them, because she has been in almost every protectorate before in her life. The others have not. She has a fan inside of her sleeve, pressing against her sweaty skin. It is bladed, and she is ready.

"He's around here somewhere," Suki murmurs, walking through the docks. At last, they arrive at the alleyway that they promised to meet in.

"He's helping us, right?" Katara asks again and Suki still does not give an answer. Katara is beginning to think that this is not someone that is going to aid them in their quest.

"Suki?" rasps the voice of a man with shadows dancing on his figure. "I thought it was just the prince. I thought you were—"

"Dead?" Suki interrupts and in a flash, the blades of the fan puncture his neck. He stumbles back. His death will be slow and Katara moves to help him before Zuko holds up a hand to hold her back.

Suki leans down and grabs his bag. She pats down his pockets before standing up and slinging it over her shoulder.

Sokka says, "I think we should really get out of here," and his companions cannot agree more.

"Who was he?" Katara asks softly as soon as they start walking through the crowded docks.

"A guy who supposedly killed me. At least, he thought he did," Suki says. "He was a traitor. He still is—_was_ a traitor. He only wanted Zuko in order to get a pardon and some gold."

Katara chews on her nail and Zuko gives her _that _glance.

"Why'd you steal his bag?" Sokka asks his girlfriend.

"Because he was sent by the ranking officer of the military base at the edge of this protectorate. He has information on them, I know it, or at least something we can make a weapon of sorts out of," Suki says and her friends are quite impressed.

"I wouldn't have thought that quickly," Zuko says and Katara laughs.

"We know," she says with a grin.

Neither Zuko nor Katara ever thought that they would be so relieved to see each other.

Meanwhile in the Fire Nation Royal Palace, "I have a feeling you didn't call me here to discuss art," says a middle-aged woman sitting across from Ozai.

"Your feeling is right. I have reason to not trust a single person in my court at present. You are not part of my court, and I believe I am about to offer you a task that will appeal to your ulterior motives."

"You trust someone with ulterior motives?" Amaransu laughs. It is more of a _cackle _and there is never a trace of mirth.

"People with ulterior motives are the _only _people I trust," Ozai explains earnestly.

Amaransu sets down her tea and clasps her fingers on the table. "Makes sense. So, may I ask why you don't want your court involved with something?"

Ozai pauses and examines her with a gaze that makes her chilly. Amaransu Gao has worked with Fire Lord Ozai since she first was starting out her enterprise. He appreciated her line of work, as a man who collected art as much as he collected cities.

"Things have been tense. It seems that many people think they have an _opportunity _to take my power for themselves. I would sooner die than ask any of them for a favor."

"A favor, is it?" Amaransu laughs again, this time more softly.

"Yes. I have assembled a few experts with no ties to my crown who I trust, people who are to clean up a bit of a mess in the Colony Kingdom. I need a spy. That would be you."

Her eyes flicker, taken off guard for the first time on her visit. "Why?"

"Because you are a lowly art dealer from a pathetic caste who now has the favor of the emperor of the entire world. All of that is about your charm, not paintings."

"Well, thank you then. Who am I spying on exactly?" Amaransu inquires as she surveys Ozai's expression.

"My daughter. She likes you. She doesn't trust you, but she likes you enough to let you accompany her. My other… friends have been assigned elsewhere. You'll be paid handsomely."

"Oh, but I haven't traded in anything as worthless as gold pieces in years. I'm too rich to know what to even do with my money."

"And what do you ask for in exchange for old Air Temple frescos?"

"Secrets," Amaransu whispers. Her subsequent smile shows her yellowed teeth and the crows-feet on her piercing brown eyes.

Ozai scoffs and leans back in his chair, but Amaransu has never been intimidated by power positions.

"You can ask. I don't promise to pay."

"What are your other experts working on, if not spying on your daughter?"

Fire Lord Ozai hesitates. He is not certain if he wants to divulge the information, but then he realizes it could be a tactical move when dealing with Amaransu.

"They're finding my son and bringing him home."

* * *

Amaransu arrives in the Zuanshi Protectorate on the night before they intend to leave. She is packed, she is prepared and Azula knows her father has sent a babysitter. Of course he could not manage to allow her on this ridiculous honeymoon tour alone.

All the same, Azula greets her as warmly as Ty Lee has ever seen her. Which is still a fairly cold hello that most people would give to colleagues that they do not even know the name of.

Ty Lee feebly waves as Amaransu kisses her hand and watches Azula simmer for a moment.

They take her out to dinner that night, to one of the small parties set up to celebrate the royal wedding. It is calmer than the others, which makes Ty Lee tense. She liked the fast, large, loud ones much more.

Ty Lee tries to loosen up when she sits down in the gorgeous room and listens to Azula talk politics with Amaransu and two men. This place does not look much like her protectorate ever did, and neither did the one before this. Are they all this nice and Ty Lee was just unlucky?

A girl sings, men strum instruments. It's an old song, one that Ty Lee feels chills when she hears, because it is a song of rebellion. She betrayed them and the lyrics hurt her as she tries to keep up with the fast conversation.

"_War was just a legend, and pain was never known  
The people worked together and built cities made of stone  
And they stood proud over the flatlands until water burnt them to bones  
And the cities…"_

Ty Lee swallows and her eyes flicker between Amaransu and Azula. They are so regal, so stunning, so certain about the unknown. Ty Lee doesn't think she is ever going to fit into Azula's world, as much as she wants to dive into that sunless sea and drown with her princess.

Her past will always chase her, even if she flew to the sun and past the stars.

The girl is looking right at her, or so Ty Lee believes.

After Azula leaves to go find drinks, Ty Lee sits with the older woman and stares at her for a moment.

"You're cute. Not date you cute, but pet you and see if you purr cute," Amaransu says with a smirk. "What's bothering you, kid?"

Ty Lee has never been addressed like that. She swallows and then smiles.

"Nothing," Ty Lee says gracefully and Amaransu clearly does not buy it. "I just am trying to get to know my new wife. It isn't easy but I'm good with people. I _love _people and I _love _Azula."

Amaransu sighs. "I believe you. But I don't believe that things are perfect with your princess." Amaransu licks her lips. "Are you at all close to her? Do you know her?"

"I don't think anybody knows Azula," Ty Lee says assertively and Amaransu shrugs. "I know her well enough."

"Do you want her to talk to you more? To open up her cold, coal black soul?" The older woman leans back and Ty Lee straightens herself. Amaransu is impressed with Ty Lee's confidence and social graces; it startled her when she was expecting some rebel colonist who's rough around the edges.

"Yeah. Doesn't everybody?" Ty Lee says brightly.

"Tell her about you. Tell her a secret. Secrets are the kind of currency that buys you anything. Even a glimpse into the Monster of the West. Anything bothering you? Anything from your past?" Amaransu's eyes pointedly flicker over to the singer.

"No. I tell her everything," Ty Lee states graciously. "Excuse me. I'm gonna go dance with my wife."

She stands and Amaransu slowly shakes her head.

So close.

[X]

Ty Lee cannot help but take Amaransu's advice seriously. It seems to make sense, but Ty Lee is _not _going to talk about her rebel history. She _never _will discuss that. But she does have secrets, ones that don't necessarily bother her, but sharing would be genuine.

That could open her. Azula _is _a human, despite her nickname.

"Azula," Ty Lee says as soon as they get back to their room. They accidentally left the window open and it smells like ocean inside. "Azula, I haven't been entirely honest with you about something."

The princess examines the door, as if she fears eavesdroppers. But Ty Lee does not have a secret revolving around rebels or royals, it is just a lie she never considered coming clean about today.

"Do you remember the story about the hill I told you?" Ty Lee asks, striding towards the mirror but not yet undressing. She picks at her make-up and wonders if she should take it off.

"I do," Azula says crisply. "It was a dull one. You used to climb it as a kid and look at the stars. Then you outgrew it."

"There's more to that hill," Ty Lee whispers, wondering why she is daring to speak of this so early. "I went up there with this boy. We were just kids at first and playmates. But then we started looking at each other way more than we looked at the stars."

"And…?" Azula cocks an eyebrow.

"He was the son of an Imperial Soldier—his mom; his dad was an imprisoned earthbender—and he wasn't supposed to be with me. I let him…" Ty Lee blushes and steps away from Azula, as far as she can go without seeming guilty. "I let him love me. My dad found out and he wasn't that angry. He never told my mom at least, as long as I promised never to go up that hill again."

"How many times?" Azula suppresses laughter; this is an absurd moment.

"H-how many times?" Ty Lee does not know why she did not anticipate such an obvious question. "Seven or eight maybe… I let him love me."

Azula is more uncomfortable with Ty Lee's phrasing than the secret itself. _Let him love me _is the most confusing, childish and awkward way to describe fucking that the Monster of the West understands.

"What happened to him?" Azula asks coldly and Ty Lee does not like how her eyes smolder.

"His mom sent him to basic training and he never came back to the protectorate… or that hill." Ty Lee leaves the make-up remover, but does strip her clothes off before slipping into the welcoming bed. "I'm sorry."

"I don't care. I expected you had all of the boys come after you," Azula says and it is one of the nicest things Ty Lee has ever heard from her. "And the colonies are not known to be _civil_."

Ty Lee rubs her neck with her branded arm. "Yeah, they're very uncivilized."

Azula moves to kiss her, and Ty Lee doesn't mind it at all.

In fact, it feels safe and warm. When it breaks, Azula says, "I'll keep you safe from whoever left that note in here."

"Yay," Ty Lee cheers softly.

She sits up and kisses Azula again.

[X]

Mai lies in bed and stares at the ceiling.

She still feels sick. Maybe sicker, because she faded into the walls the moment Ozai started focusing on his plans to retrieve Zuko. It could be intentional.

The Royal Family has too many secrets.

[X]

Across the ocean, Azula lies in bed and stares at the ceiling.

"Are you bothered about…" Ty Lee whispers in the darkness. She has been hung up on how Azula didn't _open _to her, and instead interrogated her before moving on with her life as usual.

"If what bothers me? That you can't keep up with my conversation? It's fine; your job only entails looking pretty," Azula says softly, but she does know what Ty Lee is talking about. _Of course _she knows what Ty Lee is talking about.

"I don't know why it all came out then," Ty Lee whispers and Azula can tell that she is distressed.

Even under so much pressure, Ty Lee has always seemed _bubbly _or at least _optimistic_. There clearly is more beneath the surface than her old adolescent romp. Something possessed her to say it, and Azula knows that it cannot have just been _guilt_.

Unless Ty Lee is guilty of something else.

Unless Ty Lee…

Didn't buy what Azula said at the wedding about her mother.

Is Ty Lee smart enough to make that kind of play? Could she possibly have the manipulative aptitude to share a secret and hope for trust in exchange? To think that if she divulged her shame that she could prod out Azula's secrets?

The Monster of the West cuts those thoughts short, saves them for later, and changes the subject. "That song was pretty."

"There were a few they played." Now Ty Lee gets openly uncomfortable and Azula narrows her eyes. Poor girl wears her heart on her sleeves; she is not built for politics.

"The one that you paid full attention to. I've never seen you listen to something so intently before," Azula breathes, rolling over onto her side for effect. Her fingers slowly make their way to the crimped hair of her wife.

"I used to know it a long time ago," Ty Lee whispers halfheartedly and it is not entirely a lie.

"It was about Sozin, wasn't it?" Azula says, smirking. She _did _think the song was pretty, even if she wonders if the girl will live to see tomorrow for singing it.

"I don't think you're supposed to be able to tell. It's a slave song or something," Ty Lee hastily says, as if Azula has any reason to care.

"Singing about a man invading the former Earth Kingdom isn't exactly subtle…" Azula laughs. "The song sang about a rock of fire. I had no idea that the remnants of the Earth Kingdom shared the legend of Sozin's Comet."

"The legend of Sozin's Comet?" Ty Lee asks, batting her eyelashes innocently. She truly has never heard of it.

"Yes. There is a myth that Sozin had divine power helping him on his conquest." Azula cackles. "People are such gullible fools... although, few do believe it. I think Sozin just took the world ruthlessly with fire."

"That's how you took Ba Sing Se, isn't it? Ruthlessly with fire." Ty Lee sounds genuinely intrigued and Azula shrugs. Her hands slowly slip away from the light brown locks.

"I have never spearheaded a true invasion," Azula whispers as their bodies separate fully. They can feel only each other's warmth from beneath the comforter. "Yet, I would like to."

"Will you tell me about it?"

"Anyone off of the street knows the story."

"But not anyone off the street could hear the story from _you_."

"Now you've interested me," Azula says honestly, curling and uncurling her toes. "Do you really want to hear about my famous conquest of Ba Sing Se? From my eyes, at least, I suppose."

"I would love that," Ty Lee says, her body propped up, her eyes wider, her focus fixated on her bride. "Tell me about it."

"Well, I went and started with the intense training my grandfather and father gave me—"

"No," Ty Lee whispers. "Make me feel like I'm actually there."

Azula has to think for a moment about how to phrase it properly.

"The rush of war felt like nothing I can describe, but that isn't necessary to the story. It felt... when I bent somewhat like not drawing power from the sun but _being the sun_. I could smell the ash and blood and dust before I even was ready to breach the walls. The grinding sounds were fairly deafening, but the screams intruded on my thoughts more than that. I was in the middle of an endless amount of soldiers and they were all more than happy to die for me. It was my moment to prove myself, and I knew I would succeed."

"Of course you would," Ty Lee interrupts before putting her finger in her mouth and regretting breaking the moment.

"The first strike of mine burned down half of the archers and benders on the remnants of the walls. It was powerful… very power. It was orange out, like a powerful sunset, but everyone in Ba Sing Se saw sky blue. I had others around me but I lost track of them so easily in the smoke. I kept pressing forward, cleansing everything in my path with fire. So much fire. More than you can imagine."

"And then you went in and killed the Earth King and –"

"That's what the official story says. But no one smart ever believes the official story. I _asked _for the city."

"Asked for it?" Ty Lee's eyes sparkle in the shadows as she stares straight at Azula.

"I had people on the inside. That was the only way, even with the comet, that we would be able to take it _all _down in one strike. I was a spy—"

"You were a _what_?"

"I was a spy, working in conjunction with The Ruthless Sun and two other elite sects of soldiers. It wasn't as glamorous as fourteen-year-old-me thought it would be, but I decided that sabotaging _supply lines _was a waste of potential. I realized no one had ever taken Ba Sing Se before, and that it was my destiny... so long as I made it my destiny. The King turned out to be little more than a figurehead, and he…"

"He?"

"Let's say my father's court is not the only pit of hungry viper-rats," Azula whispers, almost in admiration of how the desire for power transcends all. "I turned them against each other, and then left. When I came back, I brought an army, and I knew I would come back to a throne built by my smitten enemies. It worked perfectly, because I _made _it work perfectly."

Silence.

Ty Lee dares to ask, "Do you ever think about doing that to your dad's court? Turning them against each other like that? Picking them off…"

"Are you suggesting it?"

"N-no." Ty Lee closes her eyes. "I was just curious."

"I understand why you'd ask." Azula lets the second silence linger before she adds, "And my answer is that I think about it regularly."

Ty Lee curls up closer to her. She _knew _it would work; she has to send Amaransu flowers.

Azula can feel Ty Lee's elevated pulse and she realizes that her wife is much smarter than the airhead she pretends to be.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_The song in the chapter (which will come back multiple times) is very loosely to the tune of "Cortez the Killer" by Neil Young, if you're at all curious. I'm sorry that nothing huge happened this chapter; it feels like half a chapter to me, but I liked it and I liked where it ended. I hope it wasn't frustrating or too short. That's all I have to say except thank you so much for reading this far and I hope you're enjoying the show._


	14. The Daughter Also Rises

**Chapter Fourteen: The Daughter Also Rises**

* * *

Ty Lee feels groggy.

She stumbles before she sits down across from the older man.

Piandao, he said he was? She thinks that he did.

Her chair is comfortable, which does not help her drooping eyes. Her change of clothes is as luxurious as her ruined outfit tailored for a princess. Her instincts tingle; they want something. The rebels cannot be trusted, even if Ty Lee once was one of them.

He looks at her like Ozai does. His eyes may be kinder, his posture more honorable, but he still seems to see her as a tool.

"Do you want some wine?" he offers warmly.

Ty Lee shakes her head, but he pours two glasses anyway. He slowly sips his own while she barely even looks at hers.

"Do you need something?" Ty Lee slurs, her cheeks flushed. They dressed her in a tarnished gold shade, a color that exists almost exclusively in the Colony Kingdom.

"I'm going to release you and Azula."

She smiles. "Really?" she asks, her chest swelling from the excitement.

"Under one condition, and it's not too much to ask," Piandao says. His tone is strong and gentle, but Ty Lee still feels wary of anyone who has something to gain by using her. So everyone. "I—we—want you to use your position to help others instead of hurt them. We want an ally as Fire Lady, and we want Azula as our weapon instead of Ozai's."

Ty Lee sleepily shakes her head. "That's not gonna work."

"I believe that you can make it work. I believe that you can use your position with her to your advantage, and that she wants power as much as we want freedom."

"So… you want to replace a power-crazed tyrant with another power-crazed tyrant," Ty Lee whispers.

"I think she has potential," he replies with confidence. Ty Lee wonders if he is just a good liar.

Ty Lee answers, "I think she's the only person who you think can bring down Ozai, and you're gonna try to get rid of her as soon as she's done."

"We're better than that," he insists.

Ty Lee does not think so. But she wants to leave this horrible place. "I'll help you. I'll convince her to help."

"Thank you," he says.

Ty Lee hides her trembling hands on the chair beneath her knees.

* * *

**_Two Weeks Earlier…_**

Azula stands on a balcony, looking down at a crowd. Ty Lee stands next to her, looking supportive, as she should. She gives the same recycled words as charismatically as she usually does. It is already getting old, after only three protectorates.

They all hate her and she knows it. She is making a speech about all Ozai wants to give them, but he wants to give them the gift of spears in their chests. The gift of _uniting _the protectorates under the banner of oppression.

She watches a man get dragged away for calling her a liar.

Her father would continue speaking. Maybe point out the treason.

But Azula is not her father. Something tugs at her gut and she does not deny it.

Azula regally declares, "I _am_ lying." Azula does not know why she just did that, but there is no turning back. "We_ are_ liars, as someone so kindly pointed out two protectorates ago. No one in the homeland has the desire to give anything to people they cannot see or hear. Why on Earth would a wise ruler want to give the people here a voice? The world is what my father makes it. Everyone in this crowd would love to do that. Don't act as if you would not do the same in his position.

"Sozin didn't take the Earth Kingdom because the comet granted him divine visions, Azulon didn't destroy the Water Tribes because it was his spirits-given purpose, I didn't seize Ba Sing Se because it was rightfully mine. We did it because we could, and because you let us.

"You cannot complain about my dishonesty when you want me to lie to you. You do not want me to tell you the truth because you do not want to hear it. We brought you to your knees because you knelt when we said to kneel.

"That is all."

[X]

Not so far away from the stunned audience, "I have a bad feeling about this," Zuko murmurs as he looks at the stretch of thick forest ahead of him. It is too quiet, and the two outposts they passed were deserted. "It's been a long time since we met with the rebels. They…"

He thinks that worse has happened than them moving on, but he keeps his mouth shut about that. Katara, Sokka and Suki are too hopeful for him to say too much. After so long in captivity, he is alienated enough from his old group of friends.

They resisted the Fire Nation at full force from the Colony Kingdom.

Now, however, the world is bleak and Zuko does not feel as brave and brash as he once did.

Katara leans towards him, "Don't. The rebels are here, and we're going to find them."

"Yeah, not helping," Zuko hisses back. The Painted Lady pouts her lips and shrugs before walking ahead to lead the group.

He met her four years ago.

_Katara runs as fast as she can. She throws water backwards aimlessly as her heart pounds out of control from the panic. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did she get sighted? How did she get sighted?_

_She suddenly hits a dirt coated rock wall. No, no, no. She can hear the gruff voices of the soldiers behind her. Frantically, she looks around for escape._

_Someone grabs her wrist and she begins to kick and fight as the muscular male arm pulls her up onto the rocks. Katara reaches to fight him before she sees his mask._

_"The Blue Spirit," she whispers and he silently nods._

_He gestures with one hand for her to crawl across the slender ledge. She follows as fast as she can go, and the Blue Spirit at last guides her into a dark cave. They… they might be safe now._

_Katara stands and paces around the cave. It is small, but well concealed by trees and shadows. She looks at the young man in a mask, broadswords on his back, and smiles faintly._

_"Thank you. I never thought…" Katara trails off. "Just thank you. I got betrayed, you know? I was… I was with this guy who came to the Rebel Alliance and I didn't really trust him. Lee. His name was Lee and he had a Lotus tile, but obviously that wasn't enough. He and I had to go out hunting, and turns out he was a firebender. I managed to lose him last night but… I hope I can trust you."_

_The Blue Spirit shrugs and Katara wonders if he knows how to speak._

_"You're bleeding," she whispers, striding over to him and gently touching the wound. He tenses beneath her hand. "I can heal you." She reaches to the mask and he pushes her hand away._

_Katara wonders about him._

_He was a legend to the rebels; the Blue Spirit who liberated the oppressed and struck in the night._

_Now she is alone with him until the Fire Nation soldiers lose her trail._

Years later, Zuko glances around the trees anxiously. He scratches his arms as he walks towards the trodden path. It supposedly leads to the rebels, but Zuko is skeptical.

He comes to a fast stop when he hears Katara scream. She hangs from her foot, caught in a trap. Sokka runs at her and yelps as he soars into the air.

Suki glances at Zuko before grabbing a fan and tossing it at the rope holding Sokka in place.

[X]

Azula is not permitted to leave her lodgings after the speech debacle. She could override them, she supposes, but she knows that she has caused damage. So, now, she sits in an empty bar without drinking. Ty Lee is making herself pretty for bedtime or something else vain and petty. Azula just stares at the wall and wonders what the next step is.

The crowd panicked.

It was brilliant before it died.

Ozai's soldiers snuffed it out, unsurprisingly

"Don't regret what you just did." Amaransu interrupts her privacy. "What? You've sparked something. There is truly nothing more powerful than a son or daughter defying their father. You're a good politician."

"You flatter me," Azula sarcastically says. Amaransu's lips twitch and she pours herself wine. "I got their attention."

"You got more than their attention. I think you can run with this," Amaransu states. She sits down and tries to stop thinking about how eager she is to betray a man who gave her the world for a girl who can give her the moon and stars on top of it.

"I don't have the trust of peasants and I never will."

"Well, you can have whatever you want once you're Fire Lord," Amaransu says cavalierly and Azula is so shocked that she does not even attack or say something witty.

People do not… _speak to her like that_. It simply does not happen.

"Excuse me?" is the most intelligent thing she can muster.

"Your father has never had a response like that from his devoted subjects, much less his enslaved enemies. I think you should contemplate making this tour work for you and not for him." Amaransu finishes her drink in one gulp. "If you have the colonies united, you have all the more people to make jump at your command. What is it you promise politically, anyway?"

"I mean what I say in my speeches."

"Mhm, and you mean what you say to girls in bed. Right." Again, the princess does not quite know how to respond. "You're sixteen—"

"An adult," Azula snaps.

"_Not _an adult. I'm sure you have much more selfish and entertaining orders in mind. You're clever. Smartest person I've ever met in my long life. But being the smartest person in the room is so fun. That's why you lie and play with people. But did you ever think that those skills would be better outside of the sandbox and in the court? You could be Fire Lord tomorrow if you stopped toying around with dignitaries and batting your eyelashes at daddy and started acting on the grandiose lectures. That's my opinion, of course, but it's the right opinion." Amaransu reclines in her chair and watches the spark resonating through Ozai's little princess.

"You're suggesting I usurp my father, which is ridiculous. I would never do that," Azula icily insists without a breath of hesitation.

"Even if he sent you on a dangerous honeymoon to be the center act of his puppet show while he has secret meetings behind your back? He doesn't trust you." Pause. "He sent me to spy on you. I'm corresponding with him about your every move, and I doubt you even thought to do the same to him."

Azula scoffs, trying to disguise her nervousness. "You're not a spy. I would know."

"You do know he would do that, because he's paranoid and you scare him as much as you scare everyone else. I'm telling you that he sent me because I just saw that, and I think I'd rather have you as a friend than him in the coming months."

"Why?" Azula demands.

"Because I just saw that speech. You're the one who needs the throne, and the one who has the best chance of keeping it. I think many people are under the odd impression that it's up for grabs." Amaransu stands and has to steady herself with one hand. She looks at her wobbling knees and sighs. "I'm getting old. Such a shame."

She leaves before the Monster of the West can bite her.

[X]

When Azula goes up to her room, after that disconcerting exchange, she has only one thing on her mind.

"I want to sleep with you." Azula thinks she needs to be blunt and open about it. Ty Lee is too nervous.

"Oh? You—really?" Ty Lee thinks she needs to be less wishy-washy about it. Azula is too dangerous. "I'm sorry. I just, no one has ever said that to me is the only thing."

Azula could prolong the awkward conversation, but she instead slowly takes off her shirt. Which only makes this feel _more _uncomfortable. How is this more awkward than their wedding night? The discomfort is very evident in how Ty Lee very hesitantly walks towards her.

Their lips meet and it feels nice, but it does not change how strange the movements feel.

This is only new to Ty Lee; why does it feel so novel and daunting to Azula? She has been fucking Mai since she was fourteen. But this girl makes her shake, and not necessarily in the aroused way.

"Bed. Bed right?" Ty Lee says and Azula almost laughs. She blushes; Azula takes her by the arm and pushes her down onto it. Not as hard as she has handled her before. But it was heated then, it was so fresh that they both tore into each other without thinking. Now they both are thinking too much.

Azula never truly thought through the consequences of an arranged marriage. Particularly one with a girl like Ty Lee. It is complicated when Ty Lee kisses her and takes her by the wrist, because Azula has the aching suspicion that this is just the part Ty Lee has to play. It is complicated because Azula knows she should _ask _but she is afraid of the answer.

The Monster of the West is still standing as she slips onto Ty Lee, straddling her. They are intertwined together for breathless, forceful moments, their tongues warring and lips pressing against each other over and over and over, hips grinding against each other to a certain rhythm that is both familiar and alien. Azula steps back for a moment to remove her nightdress. Ty Lee is unsure what to do as she reaches for her own light pink nightgown, but Azula seizes it and removes it violently.

She has not done this. Not just taken what she wanted and Ty Lee is not sure if it is sexy or worth-worrying-about. It feels nice to not think about whether she is interested in Azula sexually nor not. She _is _interested on the fierce hands on her wrists.

Ty Lee gasps and moans but is silenced by Azula on top of her again.

When their lips collide and crash, Azula sucks on Ty Lee's lower lip. The arc of her wife's back is welcome as they tear at each other, clinging as if they would drown if they did not. Maybe they would.

Ty Lee moans but it fades into Azula's forceful kiss, teeth and lips grazing against each other. This is possibly the messiest sex either of them have ever had but they both love it. Love it with frantic, palpitating hearts. Maybe they don't love each other in the same way but they both love this the same way.

Their bare cleavage presses together as their bodies become so close they might as well be united in the Universe. Ty Lee has the sudden compulsion to gently push Azula onto her back. Azula breathes in and enjoys it, surrendering and closing her eyes for a brief moment as Ty Lee kisses her clavicle.

Her teeth dig into Azula's skin and the princess is stunned and confused as light pink lips leave bruises on pale skin. Ty Lee's lips touch her pink nipple and Azula has to gasp for breath and control herself before she lets herself believe it is real on Ty Lee's part.

Ty Lee is absorbed in the song of Azula's pleasure as she forgets all about the speech and that mess; they only know the buck of her hips, the fire that Ty Lee feels as Azula they burn, Azula's body incredibly hot, which Ty Lee quite likes. Ty Lee holds her down and Azula parts her legs.

Azula has seizes Ty Lee's hand with a fervor. Ty Lee allows to be controlled with sparkling dark eyes. She allows Azula guide her fingertips to Azula's navel.

She is supposed to take some kind of command. She didn't want that. She didn't want to be responsible, but she has no choice but to choose. So she does:

Ty Lee circles her fingertip around Azula's clit and pushes two fingers into wet heat.

[X]

In the morning, Ty Lee wakes at ease.

She cannot explain the feeling. While she always wakes up feeling optimistic, she never has felt this soft warmth inside of her body, the peaceful hum of the world inside of her. It is a quiet happiness, not the loud kind she screams to the Universe.

When she rolls on her side, she sees that Azula is still asleep. The ivy covered window makes shadowy patterns of leaves on Azula's ivory skin. Ty Lee stares at her in silence, stares at her _wife_. That word still scares her, to be honest. But she likes being here this morning, alone, peaceful, her breath regulated by the timing of the Monster of the West's heartbeat.

Slowly, she touches two fingers to Azula's bare arm. She does not stir and Ty Lee is grateful for that. Ty Lee lingers for a moment and finds herself walking her fingers up the arm of the Monster of the West. She doesn't know why she does it, but it feels right in the sunlight, in their room.

In a room someone broke into and left accusations of _LIAR_. That rips Ty Lee from her reverie and forces her to sit up. Her heart is no longer in soft, gentle time with that of a sleeping woman. Now she feels the panic and anxiety spreading where the contentment was moments ago.

Reality crashes down on her and she tries to keep herself from flying out of control. She is a traitor to the rebellion, she is in a very dangerous place with dangerous people, and she does not think that Fire Lord Ozai is suddenly going to stop tormenting her because she is married to his daughter.

She does not think he meant a word he said about family.

A knock on the door makes Azula stir. Ty Lee sits straight up, her heart starting to pound.

But Amaransu's voice says, "Lovebirds, time to go. Your little army is waiting for you."

After getting ready, the two newlyweds sit in a briefing room for their journey, and Azula can feel the sunlight reverberating through her body. Ty Lee is just groggy and half asleep on Azula's shoulder. This is not how she imagined her honeymoon when she fantasized about marriage.

The strange woman Ozai sent to Azula stands in front of them both. Apparently, an art dealer is acting as head organizer of the trip. Which is odd, but not the strangest thing Ty Lee has encountered over the past months.

Amaransu says, "That speech had some undesirable _effects _to say the least. You have somehow riled up the rebels even more than before, which has somehow raised the price on your head. I took the liberty of hiring better guards than ordinary soldiers. The Ruthless Sun, to be exact."

Ty Lee cannot imagine those mercenaries working as security, even for a significant amount of money. It makes her feel nervous about the rebels… and nervous about Azula too. She takes the hand of the Monster of the West and holds tightly.

The Ruthless Sun bows to them and Ty Lee recognizes most of the soldiers. They are on their way to prepare the procession.

"Where's June?" Ty Lee whispers as soon as the attention drifts from her and her wife.

"I hope dead in a ditch somewhere," Azula bitterly replies.

Ty Lee scowls. "That's mean."

"She does not respect my power."

Ty Lee giggles. "She told me you had more abandonment issues than an orphanage in a desert."

Azula does not laugh with her and Ty Lee's skin prickles.

"I probably do. But it's due to treasonous talk like that that I'm relieved not to be dealing with her," Azula says casually.

Ty Lee smiles faintly.

[X]

Across the sea, in the Fire Nation Royal Palace Courtyard, Mai runs a knife along the throat of a servant she has pinned to the patio stones. She digs it in deep one last time for good measure as he coughs, chokes and drowns more quickly than she would like.

It's what he deserves for coming at her with a damned spade.

No one has tried to kill her since she was military. Her heart races and it feels… _good_. So good. She stands up and does not bother wiping the blood from her hands.

And about ten minutes too late, in comes a burst of guards.

Oh, the price of so many secret meetings of the paranoid Fire Lord.

"Are you okay?" the boldest of the idiots asks.

"Yes. The assassin you people let nearly kill me is not." Her breath is still heavy, still long, still tasting of metal. She misses war, she abruptly realizes as she tosses her knife down and strides past the guards who are awkwardly muttering things she does not care about.

She then collapses onto her knees. Maybe her body is not quite equipped to handle an adrenaline rush like that, even if the instincts hammered into her since she was a little girl are still as sharp as the blades she keeps on her at all times.

An entire hour later, she sees Fire Lord Ozai for the first time in three days.

"I'm sorry about what happened. You shouldn't have been outside."

"In our own courtyard? He was a fucking gardener. I wasn't wandering around on a battlefield," Mai says and Ozai taps his fingers on the table. He does not like her attitude.

"There's no need to talk to me like that." _I will hurt you if you talk to me like that again_.

Mai tones it down. This is not worth it. "Well, I understand why you were too busy. However, I don't understand why someone would go for me. I've never had an attempt on my life before."

"There is a first time for everything."

"I don't care. It's not worth my time. I lived." Mai is honest about that.

He appreciates that she does not cause trouble.

That always was her best quality as a Fire Lady born of rebels.

"Are you still in pain?" he asks.

Mai mentally searches her body. "Not really. No."

"Good," Ozai says. "Then we can move on."

"Then we can talk about what this means. It was easy to avoid until Ty Lee." Mai preferred avoiding the topic, to be honest, but she feels the need to get this over with.

Ozai demurs, "She has a contract—"

"You don't play by the rules. She's scared of you. Her mother—who you made the contract with—is in custody. I don't see why you don't get on with it. Ty Lee seems like the kind of person who would be happy about it," Mai says, sitting up. Her head spins despite how small of a movement it was. She has been lying down for far, far too long.

"You make a good point." Pause. "I made arrangements for a bodyguard for you. Seeing as I had to have all of the guards protecting you at the time executed for negligence."

"I am more than capable of defending myself," Mai says. "I _did _defend myself."

"The fact that you had to disturbs me. You'll like her, anyway."

"I don't like anyone."

Ozai pauses and decides to ignore the impudence. "She's your ex-girlfriend. I figured she has a stake in protecting you and she loves money more than loyalty to anyone."

Mai is at a loss for words.

She does not know what game he is playing, but she does not want to be playing it with him.

[X]

"You don't want to have sex with me and I have no clue why because _everyone _does, but I'm going to respect your insanity," Azula says as they are alone in their royal tent. The firelight flickers outside, making patterns against the cloth.

She is turning two candles off and on, blue and orange and black, as she tries to figure out how to retrieve last night's passion. It simply is not there. That _speech _has ruined her somehow.

"But we're married and stuff," Ty Lee says sweetly. She lies on their bed, half-naked but evidently uninterested.

"But you were married not to fuck me but to fuck my broth…"

"Your brother?" Ty Lee knew that about Zuko, but she only just thought about how Zuko escaped his prison. She kind of assumed it would just be Ozai, but judging by Azula's face, she did not have the same thought.

"The one who vanished with his little rebel friends. I didn't think…" _about that_.

"We're gonna find him." Ty Lee shrugs.

"If my father is even trying. Which I imagine he will be given this revelation."

"Mai," Ty Lee chimes.

Azula is silent. She has that expression that Ty Lee hates. It is when she has words she could say but she does not. It is worse than lying to her wife, but Ty Lee does not rock the boat.

"I don't think she's an option," Azula softly says. She does not turn the candles back on.

"Why not?" Ty Lee sits up and her head spins for a moment.

"She's tried before. It didn't go well." Azula relights the candles and makes the flames dance blue.

"She must have been a child. Of course it didn't," Ty Lee says fiercely.

"That's the fable everyone has decided upon to help them sleep easier."

Ty Lee uncomfortably recalls when she first met Azula. Her mother told her about how the princess could not have children of her own. That she got sick when she was younger.

Foolishly, "My mom said—"

"I'm sure she tried to make you feel good about having to fuck one of two men just to get knocked up for me," Azula purrs. She hates the idea of her brother or father having sex, but does enjoy Ty Lee's uncomfortable expression. The perpetual gleam of her eyes and smile on her lips grows tiring over time.

"I could sleep with Fire Lord Ozai if we don't find Zuko."

Azula reacts viscerally, snarling, "No. That's disgusting and an absolute last resort. If that."

"You've been sleeping with his wife."

"Yes. But he won't be sleeping with mine."

"So that seriously detracts from your argument for getting the thr—"

"It's not an argument. It's a birthright. No one will be stealing it. I know what I'm doing."

"Not exactly. I think you should be making moves for it already," Ty Lee protests.

"How do know I'm not? You sound like her."

"Like who?"

Azula keeps her lips sealed about Amaransu. No one needs to know about that night in the bar. "I've just gotten that comment a few times tonight already."

"You're way more persuasive than Ozai. And way prettier too! People want pretty people to rule them. And you are the prettiest girl I have ever met."

A realization dawns on Azula. "I know. I know that you are still a rebel icon and that is more useful than anything I have. My father wants to use you for his own ends; I can too."

"I'm confused."

There is nothing more powerful than a daughter defying her father. "You are going to take me to the rebels."

"I don't know where they are," Ty Lee squeaks, her eyes rotund from terror.

"We don't have to know where they are as long as they know where we are." Azula examines the candle in her hand and then pinches it out. In the darkness, "You're good to talk at. This really is one of my most brilliant plans."

"Being captured by people who want to torture you?"

"Yes. I think it is time for me to get a bit more drastic, don't you?"

Azula kisses her. Hard.

[X]

Azula dismisses the girls doing her hair when she sees Amaransu appear. The Monster of the West stands and glances around for eavesdroppers. Amaransu observes it and patiently waits.

"You are on my side now. You will report what I tell you to report to my father. I will remember the favor when I'm on the throne," Azula says coldly and Amaransu stifles her smile.

_Good_, Amaransu decides, _the girl is finally coming into her own._

"I am honored to serve the Fire Lord." Amaransu does, at last, allow herself to smirk.

Princess Azula looks into the mirror and sees the person who conquered Ba Sing Se looking back at her.

She missed war.


	15. Our Honeymoon

**Chapter Fifteen: Our Honeymoon**

* * *

Ty Lee springs into action the moment she sees the knife.

She takes the assassin down with four swift punches before Azula can even get onto her feet. Ty Lee kicks the man to the floor and slowly removes his mask. He whimpers, rendered helpless by combat that truly impresses Princess Azula. And terrifies her. Mostly terrifies her; Ty Lee's method of attack makes her feel numb and cold.

Azula stands, adjusts the strap on her silk nightdress, and walks to him. She grabs him by the throat without even surveying the situation.

"Who are you working for, and where are they?" Azula coldly demands. Ty Lee shifts her weight from foot to foot as she anxiously watches.

"You're joking," the assassin spits.

Azula does not take kindly to that comment. "I will count to five. There will not be a six." Pause. "One. Two. Three. Four—"

Princess Azula ends his life in a burst of lightning and Ty Lee shrieks as if she has never seen someone die. She must have, judging by the military record Azula examined multiple times.

"I guess there wasn't a five either," Ty Lee says softly.

"He wasn't going to talk. I could see it in his eyes."

"I could see in your eyes that you liked doing that."

"So what? You're a soldier. You know as well as I do how easy it is to get used to killing and death and the scent of charred flesh." Azula steps away from the corpse to fully face her wife.

"There's a big difference between a battlefield and a bedroom. It was startling, I guess," Ty Lee lies. Azula believes her.

There is also a big difference between killing for war and killing for pleasure, but Ty Lee is not stupid enough to say that aloud. It is best to pretend she is just sickened by murder like the weak little girl she has presented herself as than to say she is sickened by seeing why exactly Azula is called the Monster of the West.

Everyone Ty Lee knows poses a risk to her life, and she does not know how to cope with that.

[X]

The newlyweds had only arrived at their latest protectorate the night before they had the welcoming gift of an assassin in their bedroom. The fact that no one in Azula's guard caught him alarms her to the core. It leads her to believe that he was not sent by the rebels, but by someone in her father's court.

To make matters worse, when Amaransu comes to give them their briefing, she does not look as severe as Azula had hoped she would be.

"I think after an assassination attempt, you two perhaps need a break," says Amaransu. "The fabled Hot Springs of Jun'ichi are here. I have reserved them solely for you two newlyweds. It will give you both a taste of a real honeymoon."

Azula's mouth turns bitter. Amaransu was just telling her about how it was time for her ascension to the throne and to take action against her father. Yet, here Azula is, being told by her alleged supporter that she should have a _spa day_. Maybe Amaransu has a scheme of her own, which is an even worse thought.

Unfortunately, Azula cannot ask her about it because they lack privacy. She knows that someone around her let that assassin in, and trust is hard to come by these days. Ty Lee also surrounds her, and while Azula wants her wife to aid her in her aspirations, now is not the time. She will not get answers; she will get her hair washed.

[X]

Across the protectorate in a very peaceful lobby, "The hot springs are open to you both," says Amaransu, gesturing towards the room.

The location is isolated, in the rocky hills above the city. The shopfronts are not far away, but the springs have gone through the trouble of mirroring absolute privacy. What sells that illusion most is the silence inside and the scent of flowers.

Azula glances at Ty Lee. "This seems a little more like a honeymoon, finally."

It might be difficult to pretend this gives her any pleasure, but she will do it. Rousing any suspicion would doom her to death or worse.

Ty Lee grins and clasps her hands together. "It _does_!"

She _is _kind of cute, Azula will admit.

"It is a little honeymoon," Amaransu adds. Ty Lee runs towards the water but Azula stays with Amaransu for a moment. Amaransu turns to Azula and softly suggests, "Set it aside for a little while, princess."

"Nothing is more important than my ascent to the throne," Azula coldly protests.

Amaransu cocks an eyebrow. "Have you ever just taken a day off to relax?"

"Not once in my life," Azula honestly replies.

"You might find that you like it, and that clearing your head will help you figure out the best step to take next." Amaransu winks and leaves Azula and Ty Lee alone together.

Azula walks through the steam with a sigh. She finds Ty Lee nervously dipping her toe in over and over again.

"You aren't even naked," Azula mocks, feigning shock.

Ty Lee blushes. "I need a few drinks to get to that point," she says, and Azula does not doubt her.

"I can arrange that for you," Azula says. She does not fully expose herself either, because their marriage is awkward and they are not even comfortable being naked across from each other while submerged in water.

The hot slick rocks feel odd against Azula's back, but the water feels good enough to live up to the title 'fabled.' It might be fitting of a goddess such as herself.

Ty Lee says, "You _need _a day off. Amaransu was right about us totally needing this, but you need it the most. You're always so stressed out!"

"Why? I've never had one before," Azula replies.

"Are you—" Ty Lee begins to ask before drinks appear beside her. She sees the swish of a robe and a girl's legs. The serving girl came and went like the breeze; Ty Lee feels so impressed that she forgets about Azula for a moment.

"Am I?" Azula asks, leaning back further against the slippery stone.

"Are you afraid of them or something?"

Azula splashes her and she shrieks and laughs and chokes and laughs again. Princess Azula will admit Ty Lee happens to be extremely cute.

"I am afraid of them," Azula says. "I fear that I will not want to go back."

"You'll go back. You love what you do," Ty Lee fiercely says.

"That _is _true." Azula runs her fingers through the water. She does _not _love the part that involves being woken in the morning by an assassin.

Silence.

Ty Lee says, "I've been thinking about our talk about, uh, sex."

"It was uncomfortable. I have been trying _not _to think about it," Azula replies, bristling. "I would prefer being distracted from my marriage."

"I don't wanna talk about how awkward we are physically — I mean I don't wanna talk about Zuko either — I wanna talk about what happens after we actually have a child or children or whatever happens," Ty Lee stammers. She usually is much more confident; Azula sees the importance of this issue.

"I… I probably should think about that more often." Azula cannot believe her openness today. There must be something in the water. "The entire point of you was… that, but I hate thinking about things I do not want to think of."

"Why can't you…?" Ty Lee hopes she does not get boiled alive. Thankfully; she survives asking that question.

Azula sighs. "It was part of my training to be the weapon of conquest. I was never meant to be Fire Lord; I was meant to be a weapon. My father was to have another child with Mai and I..." Azula sighs. "I was not given the option to have a child that could compete with him. He changed his mind and wed me to you, but he is the one who ordered..."

Ty Lee rubs her lips together. They taste sweet, even after such bitter news. Forced sterilization is not a pleasant conversational topic.

"I'm happy to have a baby but I—"

"You asked," Azula purrs. "And you are fortunate because I have never told anyone but you. Not even Mai."

"Even Mai who you say has suffered from…" Ty Lee closes her mouth. She cannot talk back to Azula. She always gets hurt when she does something to annoy her new family. Azula might be as cruel as Ozai. No, Azula _is _as cruel as Ozai.

"You are so concerned over nothing," Azula says into her glass. "It really is nothing."

"It was something during our talk," Ty Lee whispers.

"Kiss me instead of saying these ridiculous things," Azula says and Ty Lee has the impulse to chi block her and let her drown in here, but she knows she has stepped over several lines within ten minutes.

When Ty Lee kisses Azula, their lips are both sweet from the fruity drinks.

[X]

The girls are halfway through several more kisses when Azula pulls away. She seems to have forgotten Ty Lee exists and become absorbed in the invisible.

"Did you hear that?" Azula whispers and Ty Lee shrugs. She kind of just heard Azula's heartbeat, the water, and their lips hitting. "Get dressed. Fast for once."

Ty Lee gets out of the water and pulls her clothes on. She still has no clue what Azula is on about, but she follows her through the steam and towards the lobby. When they arrive at the end of the hall, Ty Lee sees that it is no longer soothing. It is _burning_.

"Come on." Azula grabs Ty Lee's hand and rapidly navigates through the broken and burning lobby. When they go outside, nothing is better.

People in masks. Soldiers fighting them. Civilians dead and being killed.

Azula glances around. "I take _one _day off, and a war breaks out within the hour. This is why I do not take days off, Ty Lee."

"Do we go back to the governor's house?" Ty Lee innocuously asks.

"Of course not. That would be the first place they struck. We are not calling for my guard either because I do not trust any of them. We are going to fight our way out of this protectorate," Azula says and Ty Lee makes a small humming noise of disagreement. "I have seen you in action back with the Ruthless Sun. Together, we can get out of here and sneak to the nearest harbor."

"That's a long way," Ty Lee whispers.

"Do you see a better option?" Azula demands. The high pitched scream of agony that punctuates her sentence makes Ty Lee grab onto her hand and decide anything is better than being in this mess.

"Nope, no I don't," Ty Lee squeaks, and so it is agreed.

Azula starts off running, and they both manage to weave through things broken or overturned by the riots. She tries to fight that thoughts that her spa day and assassin could have been parts of the orchestration of this battle.

She moves to leap across a ledge when she hears a sound that gives her pause. Ty Lee shakes her arm to make her go, but Azula turns around and starts running towards the fight.

Ty Lee cannot believe it, but she runs with Azula nonetheless.

"Put that kid down and I won't be forced to kill you," Azula says and Ty Lee thinks she might be hallucinating. There's a man in a spirit mask, tiger's bride on his chest, holding a cute little girl with big amber eyes. Ty Lee notices that he has a sword to the girl's neck last. "_Do it_. I am going to count to four, there will not be a five."

Ty Lee could not be more confused, but by the time Azula gets to two he drops the little one and puts his hands up in surrender. The moment he does, the last sound he hears is the crack of lightning.

Azula takes the girl by the hand. She then releases her and looks at Ty Lee.

"Can we just tell her to run home or are we now responsible for her safety?" the princess asks, but as Ty Lee is thinking, the child escapes them. Azula does not know if that relieves her or concerns her, but she gives herself no time for moral quandaries and starts running again.

"You just risked yourself to save somebody," Ty Lee breathlessly says as they clear the ledge and continue their grapevine through the destruction.

"Why is that so startling?" Azula asks, feigning ignorance of her reputation as she looks up and locks eyes with Ty Lee. They both can play innocent. Ty Lee admittedly does it better.

In the heat of the moment, Ty Lee just shakes her head; she does not want to explain it. She knows that she does not know Azula yet, even if they are married and currently in the crossfire of a battle between rebels and imperials.

They pick up their pace again.

[X]

The two girls near the gates of the protectorate when they see that soldiers bloat their path. The rebels are relentless; the soldiers are cold. Azula examines her hands, swallows, and orders Ty Lee to stay hidden.

She runs out and Ty Lee thinks she gets a taste of the famous conquest of Ba Sing Se, because the formerly orange and brown streets are lit up bright blue, like a cerulean star exploded. Azula does not care if she hits soldiers or rebels; she cares about getting out of this place and all of them are expendable in her eyes.

The smoke and cerulean clear, but a few well-armed men surge at Azula. She takes down two of them, but one grabs her shoulder and a sword comes within an inch of her face before he drops it and falls on top of her. Smooth hands yank her out from under him and onto her feet.

"I didn't agree to stay hidden. You just told me to," Ty Lee gruffly says and Azula looks down at the man under the influence of her wife's power. It chills Azula as much as it always does. "The gates are open. Come on."

Now Ty Lee pulls Azula on their escape. The two of them are making a break for it on the most romantic honeymoon Ty Lee could ever think up.

But then she hits the ground, Azula hits the ground. Their hands gently touch as they lie there to be slaughtered. Ty Lee blacks out.

Azula has the chance to see the Blue Spirit lifting her up and dragging her away from the gates before she loses consciousness as well.


	16. Our Dear Cousin

**Chapter Sixteen: Our Dear Cousin**

* * *

Azula wakes in a cold, dark room.

The last thing she remembers is her brother's mask and sweaty hands clasped around her arm, dragging her away from fire, blood and blades. She knows he must have her in captivity, and she cannot think of a worse situation to be in.

She sits up and stumbles, catching herself on a damp stone wall.

Zuko's disembodied voice says, "I knew it was too much of a dose for you. You're a lot smaller when you're not towering over people from balconies."

The room illuminates slowly, the lanterns briefly raging before they settle.

Azula looks around. She is in a dungeon, locked behind bars, and her brother is on the other side. She recalls how many times she was on the other side of the cage, and so she can understand why he looks so amused.

"I am going to swallow my pride and ask you what the fuck is happening right now," Azula hoarsely demands. Her hold on the wall slips and she nearly falls on her face. "Where am I?"

Her head aches and her mouth is dry. She looks at the bedroll she sits on and decides she is not going to take the risk of standing and slipping on the cloth.

"You're in the Rebel City. Or so we've come to call it, I guess," Zuko replies. "It's actually really impressive. They really refurbished some ruins nicely. I can show you around sometime."

Azula has no idea if he is kidding or not, nor does she care.

She rasps, "I would rather rot in here for eternity than go on a tour of your hideout."

"Yeah. You're obviously not happy about this situation." Zuko squints at her and shrugs.

"Did you expect me to be?"

"Well, I mean, I did save your life," he says, as if he deserves a parade. "You would have never made it out of that protectorate and you know it. It doesn't matter if you took down Ba Sing Se; there was no place to run to."

"I would have." Azula wants to point out that people will look for her, but she knows it would be a sign of weakness.

Not to mention that she questions her father's motives. She wonders if he wanted her to die, but that thought hurts too much to linger on for too long. Azula needs to focus on how to escape and return to the homeland. That is her first priority. Her second is recovering her wife from wherever these barbarians took her.

"Maybe. We'll never know." Zuko grabs a chair. It screeches on the floor as he sets it in front of the cell and sits down.

"What do you want from me?" demands Azula and Zuko shrugs. "Tell me."

"Capturing you wasn't part of the plan," Zuko admits. "I'm supposed to figure out what we do with you."

"Wonderful," Azula whispers. She grits her teeth and tries to figure out her next move. "I suppose I should choose my last words then?"

"I don't want to kill you," Zuko quickly replies. She is startled by his confidence; she would not say the same to him. "That would be a terrible move. I'm trying to win a war; I don't have any time for personal grudges."

"How very honorable of you." Azula glares at him before directing her gaze at the wall. "But honor doesn't overthrow empires. Bold moves like _rescuing _me do."

Zuko studies his sister closely. "You don't believe you're alive out of the kindness of our hearts then?"

"If you want to destroy a man, start with his allies," Azula says, at last managing to stand. She stumbles forward and clings to the bars; she needs to be taller than him. He looks up, but he is not intimidated or ashamed as she expected him to be. "That's what you're doing. I suppose there _are _a variety of options. You could kill me, imprison me, try to turn me against him. I am his greatest weapon. I am his dynasty and if you sever me from him, you will make significant progress."

"You sound like Uncle. But creepier," Zuko bluntly remarks, leaning back in the chair.

Azula takes a step closer, her knee pressed against a cold metal bar.

"I sound like a tactician. Ask yourself one question for me," Azula purrs. "Do you want to rule the world?"

Zuko hesitates before responding, "I want to restore justice and build a proper government."

Azula scoffs.

"Justice and government rarely see eye to eye," she says. "That aside, tell me about your wondrous plans for the world once the rebels take over."

"We need a ruler who believes in equality and freedom."

"Mhm."

"We need people to keep him in check and we need the support of the subjugated citizens."

"Yes…" Pause. "And this _him _is presumably _you_."

"No." He clearly is lying. "That's a decision that should be made once the war is over."

"This isn't a war, ZuZu." Azula shakes her head and smirks. "You don't have the means to fight against the Fire Nation."

"You saw what we just did. I mean, the Ruthless Sun gave us some help, but we managed to get you and your wife out of the way and in less than an hour seized the city. You don't think we can do it again?"

"What you just did was not _war_. It was not a battle. It was a massacre in order to prove a point, but all you proved was that the rebels are just as bad as the legion."

"We liberated the protectorate, and we now are rebuilding."

Azula does not know how to get the message across. She probably should not even bother continuing the conversation, but she cannot help it.

And so she comments, "You say _liberated _like it means something."

"It does," Zuko vehemently insists. "These people are treated like slaves and we freed them."

"You have successfully occupied a protectorate that was surviving on its own and now have subjugated those citizens to whatever father decides to do with them. He'd wipe out twenty innocents to kill a single rebel."

Zuko leans back in the chair. "Didn't you line innocents up and kill two for every imperial soldier that was lost in a little riot?"

"Yes, I did," Azula shamelessly replies. "That's the sort of thing that happens when you piss off an all-powerful empire and call it war. This is as much of a war as the ones we pretended wage against each other as children."

Zuko intensifies and tenses when he says, "It's going to be a war."

"Yes. A war that you cannot win."

"You seem pretty overconfident for someone locked in a dungeon. I don't want to kill you, but I can think of a lot of great statements we could make with the Monster of the West."

"I know. I can think of better ones."

Zuko's mouth opens but Iroh's interruption comes out. "Ty Lee is with Master Piandao for dinner. I would like to offer an invitation to you. Would you like to dine with me and your brother?"

Azula has no idea why a dead man is talking to her. It throws her for a loop and leaves her speechless.

"I would rather flay myself alive with a spoon," she at last responds.

Iroh casually nods.

Azula turns away to hide her shock.

[X]

Across the ocean, two teenage girls sit on a balcony and gaze into the setting sun.

"So, you have a stake in protecting me?" Mai asks after two hours of utter silence. "I had no idea you cared so much."

June does not have a decent response to that. She turns her face away from the pink sky and examines the girl next to her.

"I have a stake in not having my head on a stake," she replies.

Mai almost laughs. Sarcastically, she replies, "That's an honorable motive. I'm flattered."

June feels that conversation quickly die. It would be generous to say that this is better than execution. Complying to Fire Lord Ozai's demand might be the first choice June ever regrets.

"You have friends in high places now, don't you?" June asks, her mind on the soldiers who burst into her damned house.

Mai shrugs one shoulder. "No. I have forced acquaintances in high places now. I don't do friends."

"So, it's lovers or nothing?" June asks, smirking.

"Something like that," Mai coldly replies. "But I haven't really had one of those since I broke up with you."

June mockingly sets a hand to her heart. Mai rolls her eyes and tries to find anything interesting about a sunset. She hates sunsets. Too much orange.

In the silence, June brusquely says, "Okay, nobody breaks up with me. You cheated on me so I broke up with you."

"She was the worst girlfriend I've ever had, if it helps the wounds sting less," Mai replies.

June scoffs and shakes her head. "There never were any wounds, babe."

"Right." Mai does not even look at her. "So, you seem to be getting way too cozy. This probably some elaborate and exhausting test of my loyalties and has nothing to do with my protection. I wouldn't have hired my ex-girlfriend to babysit me unless I had tiring ulterior motives. Granted I never really stopped sleeping with Azula and I still passed the other paranoid tests, so there's that."

"You never stopped sleeping with his daughter?" June's lip curls; she cannot help but find that disgusting, and she is _far _from easily disgusted.

"Not until recently. She obviously has more respect for marriage than I do."

"I never would have guessed." June feels the night become much colder. The sun has vanished. "I did meet the girl. They seemed genuinely concerned about each other, which I didn't expect."

"So I've heard," Mai dryly replies and June does not know what this palace did to her. "You called me your girlfriend for the first time, a couple years after that ended."

"I didn't say girlfriend. I definitely called you a mom or something." Silence. Mai wears an expression June has never seen before, and it makes her skin crawl. "Is that uncomfortable? You were the one just casually going on about all the incest."

Her joke is not funny enough to fix this and she knows it. Where do they keep the hard liquor?

"It doesn't make me uncomfortable. I'm just bored of this conversation," Mai belatedly replies.

"You're a much better soldier than you are a liar." Silence. "Fine. We'll sit here and stare at the sky. I thought being a bodyguard would be more exciting."

Silence.

[X]

"Forgiveness is a process," Iroh says to his nephew.

They sit at dinner, and Zuko knew it was only a matter of time before he would get some sort of lecture. Azula's imprisonment complicates the already complicated relationship between him and Iroh. It makes Zuko's head hurt.

"I don't know what that has to do with anything," Zuko snaps. He quickly regrets his words, but he does not recant them.

"Forgiveness will change your life, when you come to understand it. There are two types of fires inside of you. The first is one that is burning you, eating you alive, hurting you. The other is inspiring you, forcing you to take action, changing you."

"And…?"

"You feel the first more often than the second. As do most people, including myself. Forgiveness is what changes a fire destroying you into a fire empowering you. If you are angry at an imperial soldier and see him as nothing but an evil entity, it hurts no one but you. If you try to understand why the imperial soldier is who he is, it can erase that anger and replace it with passion to change."

"_Yes_, but we're obviously talking about Azula and those grudges run too deep."

"You have to make your decision. And it is your decision… but I want you to make the right decision. Do you understand?"

"Firstly, stop saying decision. Secondly, _no_. I can't just magically forgive her and change everything she's done to me."

"No one expects you to," Iroh says. "We just expect you to remember those who have forgiven you."

Zuko averts his eyes.

[X]

Ty Lee wakes from a deep sleep. She looks around and sees unfamiliar and grungy surroundings. This isn't a nice place; she knows it just from a glance.

She realizes what woke her up – someone tugging on her arm again and again.

"You need to get up and get dressed," gruffly says a woman.

Ty Lee does sit up, but instantly has her head between her knees.

"I feel woozy," she slurs.

"Put on the robes. They're expensive." The woman sets silky fabric on Ty Lee's lap.

Ty Lee touches her ruined princess clothes and suddenly remembers all that happened. She does not know how the rebels struck so strongly and so quickly. Her first thought is why she is supposed to be dressing up after that nightmare. Her second thought is if Azula is alive and well.

"Okay," Ty Lee says, standing and trying to figure out how to dress herself. The woman helps out. Her hands are coarse and slightly greasy. Blacksmith or soldier is Ty Lee's wild guess.

Ty Lee follows the woman through hallways illuminated by torchlights. The walls look weathered, as if this place has not been lived in for a very long time. She arrives in front of an older man with stern eyes.

"I am Piandao and you are my guest tonight," he says and Ty Lee does not know what to make of it. "Welcome to the Rebel City. I hope you don't feel too frightened."

She is tired of being a doll. Ozai's, the rebels', Azula's…

It may be how she keeps herself alive and it may be the kind of girl she _wants _to be, but she does not know how much more of this she can take. Maybe there is not enough power in submission.

Power is useless without action; she is not powerful if she sits around and does nothing.

Slowly, she stumbles towards her chair.

It is comfortable, which does not help her desire to go to sleep. To sleep for a thousand years would be most welcome right now.

He looks at her like Ozai does. His eyes may be kinder, his posture more honorable, but he still seems to see her as a tool. Ty Lee just does not know how she is one.

"Do you want some wine?"

[X]

"Please come with me," says a dead man to an imprisoned girl.

Iroh has entered the dungeon and stood before his niece. Azula's eyes never leave him; she does not believe he could possibly have good intentions. She does not believe he exists.

"Do I have a choice… uncle?" Azula bitterly inquires, meeting his gaze. It makes her feel cold.

"Of course you do."

"You are not an imposter, are you? Only royals can so confidently hide an imposition as a polite offer," Azula remarks and he laughs. "That wasn't a joke."

"I know, but astute observations from children tend to be humorous."

"I am not a child," she snarls. "I am…"

Her eyes flicker wide. Iroh just nods at her and walks to unlock the cell door.

He extends a hand to her and she smirks.

"That wasn't a joke," Iroh says, not rescinding his gesture.

"It is," Azula sharply says. "I could kill you this instant, and I could decimate this alleged city like I did Ba Sing Se. I could watch you burn and watch your allies burn."

He locks eyes with her in a way no one has before. "Were the bars enough to stop you?" He walks over and knocks on one. "They are very cheap metal. I imagine it would take about an hour to melt them."

Azula uneasily clears her throat. "Perhaps I had not made my mind up about what I should do with you all. Perhaps you should not be so bold in your assumptions about a girl you do not know, and never will."

He looks at her as if she is a cat that thinks it is a person, amused yet kindly.

Azula does not trust anyone with a warm smile and a twinkle in their eye. They tend to be the deadliest of people, not unlike her wife.

"I should not be, but I am correct. You would not choose to destroy what you could understand, which is why have faith in you. That is something your father lacks."

Azula stiffens at the mention of Ozai. "He will retrieve me, and you all will die."

"Maybe." Iroh shrugs and she has to clench her fist to suppress flames. "But waiting for my brother's army will be quite boring. The city will be much more interesting than the walls of your cell."

"I will go on your tour if it ends with me being taken to my wife."

Iroh pauses for a moment. He breathes deeply as she observes, frozen.

"That is a fair request."

"Good."

[X]

It has been a while since June has seen Mai naked.

And it will probably be a while longer, because the Fire Lady locks her bodyguard out for way longer than getting dressed should take. June pulls a dagger off of the wall and examines it while she waits. She needs a drink. A lot of drinks, actually, and some more interesting people around.

The door opens and Mai walks in.

June grabs her by the wrist and the Fire Lady seizes the dagger. It is at her bodyguard's throat in seconds, proving she probably does not need a protector.

"Those scars are bad. Tell me about them."

"No." Mai lowers the blade but does not dispose of it

"Ugh. Come on," June asks, cracking her knuckles.

"It's not a fun story," coldly says Mai, "and I don't tell it to people who don't need to know."

"I need to know," June insists, her cavalier smile slowly fading.

"No, you don't." Mai begins to collect her hair in front of a scratched mirror.

June watches her for a few moments before remarking, "You did them yourself, didn't you?"

Mai drops her hand and her hair falls around her shoulders. "Why do you think so?"

"Wild guess about the girl holding a dagger with stripes on her arms." June shrugs and sighs; this is the dullest assignment in history. "You either did them yourself or got tortured by somebody. You don't get scars like that in a fight."

Mai's molten glare makes June turn away. June scratches her neck and pretends that she is not intimidated.

"I'll let you wonder about which one it is," says the Fire Lady. "It might be entertaining."

"Is it both?" June asks, still not looking at her ward.

"How could it be both?" Mai mirthlessly laughs. "Do you think I tortured myself for kicks or something?"

June realizes it. She does not want to say it, but she decides she does not care. "What was the alternative?"

Their eyes meet and June blinks first.

"Letting my mother do it for me." Mai returns to tying her hair up.

"Sounds like a wholesome family activity." June guises her discomfort as restlessness.

"It was." Mai finishes her hair and turns on her heel to face her new bodyguard. "You can sleep here. I won't."

"I'm not supposed to let you go places alone."

Mai dryly replies, "You are free to curl up at the foot of the bed."

June crosses her arms. "I'll escort you. You can't get rid of me that easily."

"I figured." Mai sets the dagger down on the nearest tabletop, glances at her arms in the mirror when she thinks June is not looking, and leaves the room.

[X]

Azula was not expecting what she sees.

She stands in the bitter Colony Kingdom wind and stares out at a sprawling stone settlement. Iroh stands beside her but she is not looking at him. The Rebel City is decorated by rubble and built up from scorched stone, but it is alive. She is forced to acknowledge the fact that the rebellion is far more equipped than anyone imagined.

"Why did you take me here?" Azula asks, turning away from the sight that makes her insides twist.

"To let you see where you are," Iroh says, but Azula believes otherwise.

He wanted her to see what these pathetic people are capable of.

"Just take me to Ty Lee," Azula orders. "This place makes me sick."

Iroh nods for her to follow him back inside and she does. He predicted this reaction from his estranged niece.

She was also not expecting where he takes her. At first she just sees a simplistic bedroom, and she wonders why Ty Lee has somewhere so much nicer to stay than a filthy prison cell. But the minute Iroh bids her goodbye and closes the door, she sees someone far less attractive than her wife.

Zuko.

Of course it was a lie. She doubts she is yet in a position to make demands.

She hopes Ty Lee is not dead.

"Did you like the tour?" asks her brother.

"It was interesting. I didn't imagine you were building a true empire to overtake the rightful one."

"I think it's actually rightfully mine, when you think about how old you are and how old I am…" Zuko mockingly shrugs.

Azula lets him get away with that.

She instead remarks, "I am forced to admire how much you lived up to your potential. We all thought you were too weak to rule, but it's clear that your rebels are no different from my own legion, your leaders are no different from my court. It certainly proves how you would _thrive _in the homeland. Whatever principles you pretend to stand for in order to gain support and soldiers, you just want to reign." Pause. "But don't take that as an insult; we were born to dominate. I think, for once, father would be very proud of you."

Zuko is silent.

"We're not mirror images. I'm not a living a weapon, and I don't let anyone use me."

"No one uses me," Azula snaps, ignoring the fact that paranoia about Ozai using her as a weapon has crossed her head a thousand times for over five years. "I get what I want and our father loves me so much that he got rid of you."

"Loves you? When he says he loves _you_, he means that he loves_ power_. He sees you as a means to an ends. You have to know that. You're smart and you can read people," Zuko insists. Azula does know it; of course she does. "You don't have to be his weapon."

Azula cannot move. She does not expect intelligence from him, nor does she expect to be on the receiving end of what she usually dishes out.

"I don't have to be yours either," Azula sharply replies. "You are not going to convince me to join rebels when I am a few years away from the throne. I have too much to lose and no interest in what you people want to gain."

"Then that's your choice. Maybe neither one is right for you. Maybe you should fight for yourself; that's got to sound appealing to the most selfish person I've ever met. Choose that."

"If I stay here, I am yours. If I leave, I am his. There is not another option."

"You have free will. You can say no."

"I _would _listen to that if it were not _you _saying it. Perhaps you should practice what you preach if you want people to listen to you. You see, I feel that our dear cousin would have loved you to have such an attitude a few years ago."

As she expects, he jumps on her. He pins her to the wall before she can even bother with a counterstrike. She does not move – she barely breathes – as he holds her back against the smooth stone.

Zuko locks eyes with her. His are on fire; hers are like ice.

He releases his sister after briefly baring his teeth.

It is not worth it.


	17. Reunion

**Chapter Seventeen: Reunion**

* * *

Azula lies down on the floor of her cell, beside the bedroll and not on it. She will not accept any trace of kindness from these _people_. The rebels will never have her, no matter how hard they try, or how much they believe she would be willing to flip sides.

A knock on the door makes her stand. She faces a middle-aged man she has never seen before. He looks collected and has slight Fire Nation features. Most everyone she has encountered in the Rebel City has been distinctly Earth Kingdom.

They might have blended into one empire, but the physical differences persist.

"Who are you?" Azula demands and he studies her.

"My name is Piandao and I am taking you to your wife," he calmly says. Azula despises someone looking at her without a trace of fear. Even Iroh seems uneasy around the Monster of the West, but this insignificant terrorist had no common sense.

Azula wants to see Ty Lee, so she wisely keeps her mouth shut. The less she speaks, the more of an advantage she has over her captors.

Piandao guides her through the shadowy corridors and up a flight of dirty stone stairs. At the top, he takes her down the hallway to the right and opens the third door. He steps aside and allows her to walk in. Last time she thought she was being taken to Ty Lee was extremely disappointing, but this time, it is true.

Ty Lee sits on the bed in the center of the room with the blankets wrapped around her for warmth.

"I miss Caldera," Ty Lee says, tugging at the comforter.

Azula shuts the door. It locks behind her, but she pays it no mind.

"Cold, isn't it? Ba Sing Se was awful," Azula remarks softly. She walks to Ty Lee and sits down across from her.

"I'm glad you can stay with me," Ty Lee says. "I bet you wanna hear about my captivity and everything for intel and everything."

"Later," Azula says. She feels like a princess after feeling like a prisoner.

Ty Lee smiles. She knows they will sleep together but she feels that panic. Every single time Ty Lee even touches Azula, her heart races. She tells herself that it is love, but really, she thinks it is overwhelming fear and concern about their sex life.

Without another word, Azula slides on top of her and they fit like puzzle pieces. How is that two girls who do not feel the same way can feel so good together? Azula bites Ty Lee's bottom lip and it tastes vaguely like wine. Ty Lee takes Azula's tongue into her mouth and her heart races.

Ty Lee does not know why she is doing this. She does not know how she feels about the Monster of the West and she does not know why she would sleep with a woman. Those thoughts fade away as they undo each other's clothes.

Princess Ty Lee notices the oddest thing. Azula is shivering and naked and pale. Her red lips look like blood on cloth. She has never seen such a powerful person so pitiful.

Azula notices the look in Ty Lee's eyes and pushes down on her pelvis. She does not know what her shaking comes from; pleasure or exhaustion. She slides her hand down and rubs Ty Lee's clit slowly. It feels warm in the icy room. Azula licks her first two fingers and tries to forget the situation and how complicated Ty Lee's _sexual feelings _make this. She slides her fingers into her and feels the vaguely reluctant Ty Lee melt and grind onto her hand.

Their reunion feels like perfection. Ty Lee likes it; she is getting wet despite her surge of panic. She always feels it when she gets this close with Azula. But everyone does things that they question in times like these.

When Azula moves to taste her, Ty Lee remembers the lies that this arranged marriage is founded on. She does not know.

Ty Lee notices that Azula has become the reluctant one and slides her hand down to touch her breasts. Azula whispers in Ty Lee's ear, "You have no idea what you are doing, and now is really not the time for kissing lessons."

Ty Lee laughs. "We'd be good friends," she whispers.

Something about the phrase _kissing lessons _makes her notice that small fact.

Azula ignores her and kisses her neck before resuming fucking her.

Ty Lee moans and purrs like a small cat.

It is the first good thing that has happened to Azula in a long time.

It is the most confusing thing that has happened to Ty Lee in a long time.

[X]

"Now tell me about how you have been," Azula says as Ty Lee untangles Azula's hair and begins to braid it. Ty Lee playing with her hair makes Azula understand why cats purr while being pet.

"Oh, I was knocked out for who knows how long. Then I had some dinner and I got told that we'd get let go," Ty Lee says and Azula destroys the braid by pulling away.

"They are letting us go?" Azula hisses and Ty Lee's eyelashes flutter.

"Is that a bad thing, my love?"

"My love does not fit. That aside; we are important prisoners that they would be fools to give up. Even my brother and uncle are not dumb enough to do that. They want something from us," Azula says and Ty Lee faintly whimpers. "Don't cry. This isn't your fault and I hate it when you cry. Now tell me everything else he said."

Ty Lee recalls being told about power in submission. She _agreed _with what Piandao said, and she knows that telling Azula would be idiotic. Maybe Ty Lee ought to make some bold moves and take control of her own destiny.

Take control over her own destiny by letting Azula control her.

Or is she still afraid? She thinks she might still be afraid.

"Maybe if they release us we can defect. Not to them, I guess, but, run off on her own and stuff," Ty Lee softly says, reaching out and massaging Azula's hand.

Azula scoffs. "I need to ascend to the throne, not hide in the woods."

"You have this thing about you where it's impossible to look away from you when you talk. People would follow you anywhere and not even notice where they are the whole time. I think you could make something even better than this place," Ty Lee whispers, shifting her fingers up to Azula's wrist. "I want to go where you go and do what you want but I want you to rule the whole world."

Pushing Ty Lee away, Azula raises her hand to pick at her dry lips. She does not know what she could even do. Every potential move could be disastrous.

"I have people loyal to me in my father's court. He may be paranoid, but he will give the crown to me," Azula says. She examines her fingernails.

"People kneel when you say to kneel," Ty Lee whispers, quoting Azula's shocking speech. "You took Ba Sing Se because you could, and you can take more than that."

"I have no army," Azula says, thinking of how easily the Empire could crush her.

"You can make one, I know it," Ty Lee says, caressing Azula's neck. "Please."

"We are going home to my father, and I do not want to hear any other treasonous ideas." Azula turns away and falls silent for the rest of the night.

Ty Lee does not know what she is supposed to do.

She is weak. She is pathetic. She is weak and pathetic.

For the first time since she first became betrothed, Ty Lee cries herself to sleep.


	18. Loveless

**_A/N: _**_There's a Sylvia Plath quote in this chapter; it inspired a lot of this chapter. There's also a small homage to Futurama._

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Loveless**

* * *

Mai asks over breakfast, "So, do you trust the rebels to give Azula and Ty Lee back?"

She sits at a grandiose dining table in the palace, trying to force herself to have an appetite. The fatigue from barely eating has gotten to her at this point.

"Yes. I made a difficult offer to refuse," Ozai replies. He uses an abnormally gentle tone, and it is only with Mai. He has been twice as tyrannical towards everyone else, but he seems to think she has turned into a chipped teacup.

"I have no opinion either way," Mai says, averting her eyes. She does not think she can stand him much longer. Maybe Azula could be a decent distraction.

"You don't seem to have any opinions," he remarks, and maybe it is a joke, but Mai does not find it funny.

"They're a waste of time," Mai earnestly replies, poking at her food yet again. All of it makes her feel queasy. "I'm just asking because you don't trust people and getting her back is important to you. It's probably important to me too."

Silence. A screech of a knife.

Ozai breaks the long, uncomfortable moment by inquiring, "How do you like your new bodyguard?"

"She pries too much," says Mai, again honest. "I like my private life to be private."

"You don't like sleeping alone since I hired her," Ozai comments, hoping to get a reaction out of her. It never has been effective, but he finds himself tired of the apathy. Something has broken behind her amber eyes, and he wants it to spill out.

"It seems to be the only way I can get away from her or anyone else," Mai answers, trying to evade his scrutinizing stare. "Times are pretty tense."

"Azula will be rescued," he says, pretending that he believes his wife. "You will never be captured, and I will make sure of that."

"And Ty Lee?" Mai asks and he does not reply. Somehow, such a little thing makes one of the tiny cracks come to the surface. "She seems to be the only hope for your bloodline."

He ignores her; that was not strong enough, but the barbed comment is satisfying to an extent. "She'll go where my daughter goes. She'll also be carefully watched after spending so much time with her old friends."

Mai eats her grapefruit in silence.

[X]

In the late evening, Ty Lee visits Azula's cell. As soon as she walks into the dungeon, she locates the key and shuts herself inside with her wife. Azula stands and for a moment, Ty Lee thinks they will kiss, but they do not.

"Did you hear about my father rescuing us?" Azula politely inquires. Ty Lee nods. "Tomorrow morning. It would sound nice if I were an idiot. The rebels gain something for giving us back."

"He's making a trade, I heard," Ty Lee says, wringing her hands. She knows that it cannot be good, but she also cannot stand being here a moment longer.

"They would not trust my father," Azula says, shaking her head. Her gaze narrows on her wife. "It must be something else."

Ty Lee does not know if that was an accusation or not. She gives Azula the benefit of the doubt.

"Maybe it is. I want to stay the night with you." Ty Lee says two or three other things, but Azula stops paying attention. Finally, Ty Lee clears her throat. "Why do you find your hands more interesting than me?"

"Why do you think you have any right to speak to me that way?" snaps the Monster of the West. She has lost her patience already.

Ty Lee only gets _more _daring, however, asking, "Were you even really sick?"

"What do you mean?" Azula coldly asks. Her glare could kill a tiger-monkey, but Ty Lee remains resilient.

"Before that terror attack, you said you could have kids, and it was all a lie," Ty Lee whispers.

"Lies are most effective when they are partially true," Azula says, retaining her clinical demeanor. "I was sick; I almost died. No one but me has ever survived my illness. It ate away at me, until a waterbender healed me."

"A waterbender?" Ty Lee feels a surge of excitement. "I've never seen one of those."

"She was a prisoner of war…" Azula pauses to think. "I think she convinced my brother to turn against our father. She told me that she healed everything. I told my father that she didn't, because I did not feel like she did. I still feel pain sometimes, for days without relenting. I have never tried becoming pregnant and I do not want to, but I probably could have made an attempt. It might have even been successful."

"Please, tell me about Mai," pleads Ty Lee, hoping to push her luck a little further.

Azula rubs her face and sits back down. "She has time. _I_ was giving it time before I would try to get involved. Then my father proposed the political marriage concept, and I demanding that I choose exactly what kind of person I would wed. His notion that I am incapable of conceiving has worked well for me."

"Does she want a baby?" asks Ty Lee, cocking her head to the right.

"I never asked," purrs the princess.

"You knew her for a long time." Ty Lee nonchalantly bats her eyes.

"I did," Azula replies, studying her hands again, "but babies and marriage were not common topics of discussion between us. We were good soldiers. That's it."

Ty Lee softly asks, "Did you ever want to get married?"

"I knew I would have to, but I didn't like the idea of it. My mother said it was about infinite security and even if I stopped fighting in wars it would be less like being an arrow and more like being the place an arrow shoots off from. I wanted bloodshed and power and unpredictability. I wanted to shoot off in all directions like the colored arrows from a firework. I'm glad she's gone."

Azula stares not at the cell wall, but through it. Ty Lee feels cold.

"Is that why you hate your mother?" Ty Lee whispers.

"No," snaps Azula, returning to this room, "and I don't hate her. I just don't need her in my life and I never did. She wouldn't care if I died; why should I care if she does?"

Ty Lee mulls that over for a moment. "Do you love her?"

"Love is a strong word." Azula shrugs. "She didn't love me; why should I love her?"

"I'm sure she loved you." Ty Lee loses her lucky streak in an instant. She recoils into herself just from the look Azula gives her.

"Shut up," snaps her wife. "Don't talk about things you don't understand."

Ty Lee hastily whispers, "I want to understand. I want to understand you because I love you."

"No. I cannot possibly imagine that being true. This is a loveless marriage, as are most." Azula turns away and Ty Lee does not think she will come back this time.

Ty Lee frowns. She does not know what to say or do after hearing that.

She does remember something her mother told her when she and Azula began their engagement: _"And if you don't love her, or make any friends, which I doubt because you've made friends wherever you go, you'll wind up with a child or children eventually, and they will be very easy to love."_

[X]

After lingering for a few moments, Ty Lee leaves Azula's cell and tries to find Zuko. It would be nearly impossible, until she sees him walking down a moonlit corridor. Ty Lee watches him for a few moments, and follows him to his room.

"Hi." His eyes widen, probably because he does not have a shirt on.

She whispers a request and he obliges, taking her into his room to talk. He wonders if she has anything of importance to say about Azula or Ozai.

They stand there as Zuko lights the lamps.

Then they stand some more. Neither says a thing.

Ty Lee steps forward and kisses Zuko on the lips. He leans in to it, resting his hand on her neck. But when he realizes what he is doing, he pulls away.

"I have a girlfriend and you have a wife. That's messed up," he says, and Ty Lee looks very disappointed.

"The trade is tomorrow. I hate her, and I just want somebody for once," Ty Lee lies. She does a stellar job, because Zuko believes every word she says. "Please."

Before Zuko can consider his options, she begins taking off her clothes. He forgets about _honor _or other little big words like that. All he can think about is this moment, in this lukewarm room, touching the feverish skin of a very pretty girl.

He thinks about Katara, but Ty Lee kisses him again. No one has to know about this. No one has to know that he would never cheat on his girlfriend in any other circumstance.

Ty Lee was Azula's. Zuko always coveted what she had, and he wanted this solely out of spite for his sister.

Zuko gives in too easily.

[X]

In the Fire Nation, Mai walks to her room and finds a kitten in her bed. It naps in the sunshine, and Mai feels her blood turn to ice water.

June looks up at her from the corner and says, "I've been babysitting this thing for two hours. About time you showed up."

"Why did you get a cat?" Mai asks, suppressing a sigh of relief. She thought Ozai gave it to her, which would have been the last straw.

"I didn't," says June. "It was a gift for you that you never collected. I thought you were with the Fire Lord."

Mai does not know how to remain composed. She has kept quiet and calm and cold for her entire life. She has not felt very strongly in all of her sixteen years, but she has never encountered such rage inside of her chest.

"I was," Mai says, keeping her voice cool. "I stopped being with him an hour and half ago and decided to go throw knives at a tree."

"Whatever," June says.

"You are a terrible bodyguard," Mai says. She sounds more catatonic than careless.

"Aww. Were you doing that for my attention?" June smirks; Mai's hand twitches to slap her.

"No," Mai says, reigning her emotions in again. "I'm doing it to be alone for once. I don't like many things, but I like solitude."

June decides to stay out of this. "So, name the fucking cat."

"I'll just call it cat." Mai does not care.

June laughs. "Seriously?"

"Fine," Mai flatly, softly says. "I'll call it Claws. So, who got me Claws as a gift?"

"Your darling husband," June says.

Mai loses it. She loses it for the first time since she was a toddler. "I think I'm going to murder him."

"Do you hate cats? That wouldn't surprise me." June cocks an eyebrow arrogantly, but Mai saves her anger for the source of it.

"I like cats." Mai already walks towards the door. "I don't like this gift and what he is implying."

"I'm sure you never thought anyone would ever say this to you, but I think you're overreacting." That makes Mai stop and turn around.

"No," she spits, and June flinches. "I hate being pitied and I hate being coddled. He's doing both with Claws."

June tries to diffuse the situation by joking, "Do you want me to drown Claws?"

Mai responds with a vehement command, "I want you to feed Claws a salmon-chicken while I confront the most powerful man alive."

"Sounds like a wild night."

When Mai leaves, she slams the door behind her.

It feels good.

[X]

Mai and Ozai stand across from each other in the throne room. They would be face to face if she were taller, and their noses would be close enough to touch. Mai does not feel frightened in the slightest. The release of emotions is surprisingly cathartic. She always imagined she would hate retaining a strong feeling.

"I don't like the cat," Mai spits.

"You don't like much," he calmly replies.

"I phrased that wrong," Mai says. "I like the cat. I don't like that you gave me it."

"Well, you don't like jewelry or flowers much either." He is the worst person she has ever met, and she has never wanted to kill someone more than at this moment.

"I know why you gave me it," Mai snarls, holding her homicidal urges back, "and I don't need your pity. It isn't like I care anyway."

"You seem to care a lot," he says, touching her arm. She shakes it away and steps backwards. "I've never seen you care about something at all, much less so strongly. Maybe we should discuss this instead of continuing the avoidance game we've been playing for over a year."

"What's to discuss?" Mai demands, crossing her arms. She does not know if she has ever done that.

"Everything," says Ozai. "We have not openly acknowledged any of this once, and I was happy with that, but you clearly are not."

"I don't want to be with you anymore," Mai says. It is merciful.

"That's called avoidance," he says, not frustrated, not angry, not affected. Mai hates him. "I said to acknowledge a single issue and that's your response."

"I'm skipping to the end of this conversation to save time," she says. "There's no point to our relationship and I don't want to be in it anymore."

"Do you want your bodyguard's body?" he asks, even though she knows he knows that is ridiculous. It makes it hard to hold back.

"That's not the issue," Mai says, stepping towards the door. "You thought I was hot, you needed a child, that's our marriage. Half of it is gone. I'm tired and I never wanted this and I can't believe I chose this over dying."

His mocking calm vanishes in an instant, and he grabs her by the throat just as fast. Her back hits the wall. She does not resist, she does not reach for his arms, she does not care if he kills her because she is exhausted. The moment he realizes that, he lets go. Mai cannot fight the instinct to touch her throat, but she does stop herself from wincing at how much it hurts.

He looks her up and down and says, "Do what you want."

She leaves the room, staggering slightly.

[X]

Some time later, June does not want to become involved. She avoids crying people and exes at all costs, but right now her ex's crying is impossible to ignore. Sighing, June knocks on the door.

"Don't come in here to console me," Mai snaps, struggling to breathe.

"I'm not here to console you; I'm here to drink." June holds up a bottle and steps inside. Mai is crying and petting a cat and June does not know what to do. She may have entered opposite world by mistake, or perhaps has started hallucinating from a bad batch of drugs.

Mai has bruises on her neck and June is not going to ask. All the money in the world could not make her do that.

"Give me one," Mai hoarsely orders. June obediently pours the Fire Lady a drink. "If you tell anyone you've seen me like this, I will have you tortured to death."

"Got it. Now, what is it that made you cry for the first time in your life?" June asks, hoping she is doing this right. She never was good at helping people.

_I want him to be angry. He's livid about the pettiest fucking things, like if I make eye contact with another man, but he's just so calm about this…_

"If you think I would ever spill my nonexistent heart out, you're wrong," Mai says, wiping away her tears on the back of her hand.

June sits silently, pouring herself another glass.

Mai ponders telling her, but changes her mind. It humiliates her to have any feelings about having a child. She is a soldier and a bitch and a thousand other things before she would ever be a mother, and she cannot have _June _know such an embarrassing fact.

And so Mai solves two problems at the same time by untying her silk robe and fiercely kissing her bodyguard.

[X]

Azula sleeps peacefully for the first time in weeks. She has been given a comfortable bed in a fort manned by people who grovel at her feet, and she can forget about the rebels for a night.

In the morning, that tranquility vanishes with a knock on the door.

"Princess, I am so glad to see you're safe," says Amaransu, smiling sweetly. Azula still does not know if this woman is a traitor or not, and she is not fond of intrusions.

"Where's my wife?" Azula demands, locking eyes with the woman who may have betrayed her.

"Your father insisted that she be quarantined until he could properly question her. Her ties to the rebels make this complicated," Amaransu crisply says, clasping her hands and pretending that the attack on Azula never happened.

"She is loyal," Azula sternly says. "She is the most loyal person I have ever met, and I mean that. I am her wife and she would never betray that."

"It's good that you trust her, but your father doesn't, and until you make your choice, he calls the shots. You'll be with her again soon." Amaransu offers a faux smile.

"What happened after that uprising?" Azula asks, standing up and straightening her back.

"It was taken care of. Balance has been restored in the Colony Kingdom," Amaransu replies.

Azula shakes her head. She knows a lie when she sees one. "I have not seen anything like that night since Ba Sing Se."

Amaransu holds up her hands in surrender. "The rebels still have that protectorate. We cut off their resources but couldn't sacrifice the manpower to—"

"Take me there," Azula orders.

Amaransu's steadfast strength wavers. "I can't endorse such an unwise request, princess."

"Believe me when I say that I can take care of your little problem. Gather forces to back me and I will leave the procession to take care of this little problem. That is a royal order," Azula says.

"Yes, Princess Azula."

"Yes, _General _Azula."

[X]

Two days later, Azula separates herself even further from her wife when she breaks free of her saviors. She meets up with the man in charge of the blockade around the still smoking city. He sweats profusely as she stares him down and listens to the report.

"Your efforts strike me as pathetic," says Azula as soon as he stops speaking. "This uprising cannot be tolerated. I was almost murdered that night, and I saw rebels killing children. You can't isolate this plague; you have to eradicate it."

He stares at her and licks his lips. "Our dilemma is that we can't differentiate rebels from citizens."

"You clearly have no problem solving skills. There is such a simple solution," says the Monster of the West.

"Yes, princess?" he nervously inquires.

"Just kill them all."


	19. Gradually Disappearing

**Chapter Nineteen: Gradually Disappearing**

* * *

Mai sits in a locked room. She does not move; she does not want to play along.

If he thinks that she will, he is wrong. If he thinks he understands her, he is wrong.

Although, she is pretty certain he knows about June, which cannot bode well for anyone. On the other hand, he drove her right into the arms of another and yet she feels slightly guilty about it which makes her a better person.

She refuses to make a choice.

Not necessarily because she is angry or wants to be above it, but because there is no such thing as _choices _in life.

[X]

Ozai pretends to save her.

He probably just got tired of waiting. She would not consider him to be famed for patience. In fact, quite the opposite. One of the many reasons Mai has been preoccupied with the _situation_, as they both have so eloquently titled it.

"You look disheveled," he remarks as he closes the door and inexplicably takes her by the waist.

Like he didn't lock her up in there just to make her sweat.

"Well, I just woke up and didn't have time to do my hair," she replies without missing a beat.

"How was your morning?" he asks. Mai almost just gives up and sits down on the floor, but chooses not to answer that question.

Instead, she says, "I used to lock my little brother in closets or rooms or boxes. He'd scream and cry for a while and I would pretend to rescue him. He fell for it every time."

"The locking him in a closet or the pretending to rescue him?" He seems genuinely curious.

"Both. I miss that kid; he was alright." Pause. "I'm weak, alright. If that's what you so desperately want to hear. I am weak and I didn't use to be and I don't know why. I am weak but I don't need anyone's pity."

"I don't pity you," he says rather nonchalantly. "I don't feel much for anyone, which we might have in common. I found the cat and it had nothing to do with _children_."

Mai does not have anything to say.

She believes him, not because she considers him remotely honest but because it is unlikely that he cared about her distress in the first place.

Mai certainly never gave a fuck about his feelings about their situation.

[X]

That afternoon, Ty Lee arrives in Caldera and feels no relief. In fact, she feels even more nervous than she was while in the Colony Kingdom. Rebellion is less of a threat to her survival and sanity than the Fire Nation Royal Court.

Soldiers go not leave her side, even after she enters the palace. It smells like incense, as usual, and the smell comforts her when it used to terrify her. The burly men are allegedy supposed to protect her, but she thinks it is likely just a display of power.

For a century, the Royal Family of the Fire Nation has controlled the entire world. The North Pole supposedly is untouched, but Ty Lee doubts it is a popular haven for refugees. They have dominion over everyone and everything everywhere. Ty Lee always tried not to care until she wound up betrothed to Azula. She helped her father in his acts of rebellion, but always was content with Fire Nation reign.

She has always been happy, regardless of her situation, but that too has begun to fade.

The claws of the Fire Lord somehow dig even deeper into the people closest to him. Ty Lee had always imagined that they were exempt, but she was wrong.

Ty Lee felt safer in the Colony Kingdom than she does here.

**[X]**

_When Ty Lee is eleven, she comes home from school wearing her trademark smile. What she sees inside wipes it away, a rare occurrence._

_Her eldest sister cries as their mother futilely tries to console her. Ty Lee has never seen anything like it within her house and it scares her._

_ "__What happened?" Ty Lee loudly asks, scraping the snow from her shoes and stepping inside._

_ "__Nothing," sternly says mother, and Ty Lee sharply nods._

_She graciously leaves the room, stomps of the stairs, and then tiptoes back down them. She loves nothing more than eavesdropping._

_Through her sobs, Ty Lee's sister chokes, "He followed the rules! If you do what they want, they leave you alone!"_

_Ty Lee blinks, startled._

_ "__They're probably just questioning him," says mother. "Chan will come back."_

_She does not sound like she believes it. Ty Lee's sister evidently does not believe her boyfriend will return from custody either._

_Ty Lee finds out later that he vanished, like man people do. They tend to resurface on gallows, but Chan just permanently disappears into thin air._

**[X]**

Ty Lee walks to her rooms and the soldiers leave her behind. She hates being alone, but she hates her intimidating escort even more. She knows Ozai does not trust her, despite doing all she can to prove her allegiance.

Likely, it will never be enough.

What does she do about that? How does she avoid his ire before her wife becomes Fire Lord?

She hopes her tryst with Zuko works out. Even if it is such a miniscule chance. It is not impossible, but it is unlikely.

And Ty Lee has not been very lucky of late.

[X]

Mai does not make eye contact with her bodyguard as she sits and silently drinks tea. She regrets their encounter two nights ago and things have not been the same. Mai was not herself; she was a mess. She had been a powder keg waiting for a spark and Ozai's pity set off the explosion.

This morning has been sobering, however. She now knows that she cannot afford to burst like that again. She can do nothing but accept her misfortune.

June at last groans and says, "This is getting painful. Do you want me to say I seduced you or something? I don't even care. Do you want me to not say anything?"

"Since when did you care about what anybody other than yourself wanted?" Mai smirks, which June takes as a horrid omen and not a good sign.

"Since never. I want this awkward bullshit to stop, okay? So tell me how to get what I want," June remarks.

Mai believes her. She has either gone soft or people have been disturbingly honest today. Now, if Azula comes back and starts talking about her feelings, Mai might have stepped into some eerie opposite world by mistake.

"I slept with you. I think that, by the fact that you are alive, no one knows. So, I want you to never mention it again because it's depressing," Mai replies.

June picks at her lip and stares at the Fire Lady for a few moments.

"Why did Claws make you so upset? I've actually never seen you upset before," June says and Mai purses her lips. "Oh, come on. Don't I deserve to know?"

"You don't deserve anything. No one deserves anything," bitterly says Mai.

June decides not to interfere any further.

[X]

Azula returns the next day.

"I took care of the problem," Azula says, sitting down on her bed. Ty Lee sways on her feet. "It was not difficult, and so stop looking so concerned."

"How did you fix it?" Ty Lee softly asks.

"I fixed it. You will be so much happier if you stop asking questions," says the princess, and Ty Lee knows that it is true. Ignorance is bliss, and she tries to keep blissful at all costs. "Not that you pry much. You are an unsettlingly happy person, which is probably because you keep to yourself."

"I had an eavesdropping problem when I was a kid." Ty Lee smiles for the first time in two days. It has started to feel slightly _strained_, when it used to be her default expression. "I couldn't help myself. Other people's lives are just really interesting."

"Did you keep their secrets?" Azula inquires, smirking.

Ty Lee grins ear to ear now. "Nope. The only thing I loved more than eavesdropping was gossip."

Azula laughs and Ty Lee does too.

"You would fit in here if you tried," says Princess Azula, and Ty Lee hates her for a flicker of a second. No, she cannot let herself hate when she already is _sad_. She cannot lose herself entirely.

"I…" Ty Lee wants to tell Azula just how terrified she is of Ozai and how it is better to stay out of everyone's sight, but she just nods. It hurts to pretend that she is anything but social. Ty Lee would probably be happier if she had a ton of friends. Maybe that is why she finds it so hard to maintain a positive attitude lately; she hates being alone, and she hates being unnoticed even more than that.

"You seem… friendly. Too friendly to not have any friends here," says the Monster of the West.

"Well, you're my friend." Ty Lee realizes something. "You're my best friend. I've never had a best friend before. A lot of friends, but not a best friend. I guess you're my first then."

Azula does not react negatively. Ty Lee even catches a trace of a smile on her lips.

"I haven't either," she admits. Any warmth ices over the moment she opens up about something. "I want to go to sleep. Goodnight."

Ty Lee feels comfortable sleeping beside her.

Maybe she even missed it while with the rebels.

[X]

Azula wakes up in the night.

She did not miss sleeping beside Ty Lee. It seems like an eternal test of her willpower. Of course, her father always told her that a man who conquers himself is more powerful than a man who conquers a thousand in battle. Azula thinks the original proverb means _bettering _oneself, while Ozai used it to make her work harder.

If she had an injury, he said it. If she wanted a day off, he said it. In both of those cases he did also threaten cutting off one of her hands, but the proverb is a more useful memory.

Now, Azula has to conquer her desire to get what any conqueror deserves.

So she goes to find Mai. It may be a few steps back on the conquering herself path, but she _needs _to. She knocks on Mai's door. Mai murmurs something and so Azula opens it.

"If you're here to try to have sex with me, you're not in luck," says Mai and Azula glares. "I already cheated on my husband once this week and that's my limit."

"With who?" Azula demands—shrieks—before softening her voice and repeating, "With who?"

"My other ex-girlfriend," Mai casually replies, as if this will not get June killed.

On the other hand, Mai does not care much about the lives of others, so Azula is not all too surprised.

"That is a horrible reason." Azula crosses her arms with the defiant expression of a spoilt child.

"No, no, it's really not. What happened to your incredible _morality_? I wasn't good enough to cheat on _your _spouse with, now was I?" Mai sits up. Her shirt slips slightly and Azula despises her for it.

"I thought _my spouse _would have sex with me," Azula says, not helping the spoilt child act.

"Not helping your case," Mai says, sighing and just waiting for this to become a tantrum.

"We were so into each other for such a long time. That cannot _all _be dead," Azula dips into a throaty purr but Mai no longer finds it so irresistible.

"Well, at your behest, I gave up something I thought I needed and found out that it really wasn't too necessary," Mai flippantly replies and Azula does not know how to react.

People do not _reject _her. That is not how it _works_.

The difference between Azula's wife and her stepmother is significant. Ty Lee has something _wrong _with her where she only likes boys or something and _would _say yes if Azula asks. Mai, however, is just being difficult because it entertains her.

"It's not like he wants you, but I do. It's not like June is worth more than a one-night-stand either."

Mai disagrees with the first part and agrees with the second. Both, however, strike a nerve in her. She cannot get worked up again, not after her debacle with Ozai—a man who inexplicably wants her when he could have anything else—and so she has to power through this conversation.

"Yeah, well, they're both better in bed than you," is Mai's reply. She probably could have done a better job of diffusing this confrontation.

"Not true," Azula says. She sees that Mai is a lost cause, at least for now; she will come crawling back eventually. "Do you think June would want me?"

"I don't care. Ask her. Or ask anyone really. Go down the street and pick some random girl. Why does it have to be me?" Mai lies back down. She is done.

_Because you're the closest thing I have to someone who loves me like Ty Lee does_, Azula wants to say, but she knows better than to show any weakness.

Azula slams the door behind her when she leaves.

[X]

Princess Azula dreamt of Ba Sing Se for a long time. She wanted to conquer it, and she did. After escaping the rebels' captivity, she began to dream about it again. This time, while asleep, and this time, her fantasies became nightmares. For the past weeks, she has had nightmares of Ba Sing Se every single night, which she cannot fathom; Ba Sing Se is her greatest accomplishment.

When she wakes up from them, it always takes a moment for her to realize where she is. This morning is no different. She is beside Ty Lee, even though she went on a detour before getting back into bed with her.

She sits up and stares at the window for a few moments. It is a cold and cloudy day for Caldera, which always makes her feel sickly and miserable.

"You were having a nightmare," Ty Lee says and Azula flinches.

"I thought you were asleep," the Monster of the West hastily says.

"I just woke up when you woke up," Ty Lee says. She cheerily tacks on, "We're just so in synch!"

"Things are complicated," Azula says. With that, she stands up and starts walking to somewhere safe and alone.

Her experience in the protectorates and with the rebels has brought up many memories that settled deep in the recesses of her mind and left her be.

[X]

Azula hears the door open and wonders who could have followed her.

She sees Ty Lee enter her father's art gallery. It is alone, isolated, and solely hers, but, she supposes she did show it to Ty Lee.

"How did you know I would be here?" Azula asks.

"Lucky guess," replies Ty Lee with a swift shrug.

Ty Lee sits down. Azula thinks she will begin to talk Azula's ear off, but she sits there silently and studies the art.

They gaze at the dusty paintings for a long time, alone together.


	20. A History of Violence

**Chapter Twenty: A History of Violence**

* * *

Some women must smile to be beautiful. Some must weep. But with Princess Azula, the true radiance of the sun only shines through her skin when she is vulnerable. Or so Ty Lee thinks, as she looks at a girl whose concerned eyes at the brink of tears that will not flow glimmer like real gold.

The girls whom some of the paintings feature are all gorgeous and in an array of emotions, but none of them quite looks as lovely as the shivering princess.

"Are you okay?" Ty Lee asks, touching Azula, half-expecting to feel the fire of the sun itself. She sits down beside a girl whose ivory skin has gone chalky white yet glows beneath the sheen of sweat. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Everyone has nightmares," snaps Azula, glaring at Ty Lee.

"I'm your wife and I want to make sure you're okay," Ty Lee says softly. She speaks as if to a little, sobbing child and it makes Azula livid. Her resplendent allure morphs into a radiant anger.

"I do not appreciate people taking care of me." Azula turns away but does not walk away.

Ty Lee would hazard a guess that Azula's aversion to affection has to do with her missing mother. Or dead mother. Or whatever the woman is; Ty Lee is not dumb enough to ask about her.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" Ty Lee asks, trying to sound more detached but just as pleasant. It is the thing she most wants to do.

Azula thinks about it for a moment, thinks about returning to the sleep that the rebels poisoned with nightmares. She then recalls the subject of her latest nightmare—the burning library. It gives her an idea.

"No. I want to go read," Azula says, and Ty Lee smiles.

"You can read in bed, right?" Ty Lee asks, batting her eyelashes.

"I want to go read things I am not supposed to read," says Azula, standing hastily. "You will accompany me, because I would hate to get caught."

"Okay." Ty Lee manages a smile, but the thought strikes terror into her heart.

She cannot afford to defy her father-in-law, even if Azula commands it.

[X]

They sneak into the Dragonbone Catacombs. Ty Lee has to remain a few steps behind her wife, in order to keep a lookout. It certainly scares her, even if she will admit to liking some of the thrill. It has been quite some time since she felt so excited in such a dangerous way.

Azula slips through the aisles until she finds the one she was searching for. She hands an armful of scrolls to Ty Lee and then grabs enough to make a large burden of her own, clearing the shelf.

She edges behind a large statue on the edge of the room and sits down behind it. Lighting two nabbed candles. Ty Lee sits beside her, not sure if she should be looking or not.

"What are these, princess?" Ty Lee whispers, trying to remain meek.

"Souvenirs from Ba Sing Se. They took these all from the library before burning everything else in it. I never asked what was so important about them, but perhaps I should have," quietly replies Azula, grabbing a random one to start.

A slice of fragile parchment falls out of the first scroll she opens.

_'__Sozin and his armies cannot be blamed for the Conquest of the Earth Kingdom; we were conquered by time itself in the end. All of the wonders we constructed from nothing but stones and words seemed unbreakable, but nothing lasts. Nothing is eternal but time itself. Empires all have expiration dates. Our time was up.'_

The scrap is relatively unimportant in Azula's eyes, but she reads it twice anyway, then looks down at the signature for the second time. It intrigues her. Supposedly, it was written by the last Earth King during his captivity, a letter to no one. Azula would blame the comet for the destruction of the Earth Kingdom, but that is just her opinion.

"I bet the Fire Nation has one too," Ty Lee says before realizing the weight of her words. She meant it as a passing comment, voicing words that cross her mind without filtering them. The treasonous overtones are not intentional.

"Yes, yes we do," replies Azula as she sets the paper aside and begins to read what she originally was reaching for. "I can only hope that it happens after I die or I rule the empire that comes after it. That sounds nice, doesn't it?"

Ty Lee thinks about what the rebels told her before she left. She wants to forget their words and forget the task they assigned her, but it is difficult to erase from her mind. Maybe Azula would be their choice of a leader, under the right circumstances.

Does that make Ty Lee power-hungry?

Probably.

[X]

Ty Lee is extremely bored. She lies on her back on the cold stone floor, her legs propped up on the wall. Azula has been reading scrolls for… forever, if you ask Ty Lee, and it is _terrible_. Not only could they get caught, Azula also has not looked up once for the duration of the stay.

"So, what was your nightmare about?" Ty Lee dares to ask. It _does _make Azula look at her, although very unkindly. "You don't have to tell me."

"No, no I don't. I do not need to do anything for you," Azula says, somehow crueler than she usually sounds. Ty Lee feels incredibly hurt, but she just smiles.

"You're right," she replies, which is a true statement, albeit one that secretly hurts her heart. "So, what would you name our child?"

"What child?" Azula asks, setting down the scroll now. She only now realizes how much her eyes hurt and how much wax has dripped from the candles.

"Our eventual one," Ty Lee replies, swirling her finger around the ancient floor. "It's going to happen so I just think about things like that, you know? I love babies and I'll love our baby."

This broad smile is genuine. Azula gazes at Ty Lee's expression and wonders how something so mundane and petty could bring so much happiness to someone.

"Oh, I could not possibly care less about that, as long as the name is approved by both myself and my father," Azula replies before returning to the scroll. Ty Lee pouts. Azula catches it out of the corner of her eye and suppress a laugh. "Are you bored?"

"_Very_," says Ty Lee. She clasps her hands over her lower abdomen. "But I'm going to be here with you for as long as you want."

"Of course you will be," says Azula. "But, I do need to take most of these to my room. Care to help me smuggle them out of here?"

That makes Ty Lee panic internally. She knows she has to do whatever Azula says, but she is very afraid of what will happen if Ozai catches them. Azula would be fine in that instance, but Ty Lee certainly would not be. Or, at least, the people she loves would not be.

Ty Lee picks up the scrolls Azula kicks towards her and stands. Her head spins from dizziness and she stumbles for a few steps before gracefully catching herself. She takes a few deep breathes while Azula gets her bearings and then runs after the princess.

They sneak through the palace. Two fire sages almost catch them, but they make it back to their room.

When Azula shoves the scrolls under her bed and stands back up, she turns to see Ty Lee's shoulders shaking. She thinks Ty Lee is sobbing before her wife no longer can contain herself and bursts into hysterical laughter.

"What?" Azula demands, her own lips twitching. She keeps her composure, unlike Ty Lee, who now is rather red in the face from laughter.

"That was just really exciting," Ty Lee admits. Her laughter slows to a stop.

Azula slowly shakes her head.

Once Ty Lee catches her breath, she cannot help but stare at Azula, and the Monster of the West returns the gaze.

Ty Lee kisses her and then hastily pulls back.

If she was not confused before, she is now.

[X]

Later that morning, Mai sits down at the pier. It is at its busiest hour and so she blends in. Even her guards do not attract much attention, and they certainly cannot overhear any conversation between Mai and her bodyguard.

"I hate this place. It's loud and smells weird and seagulls are a disgusting animal," Mai remarks, which is rather kind and generous of her.

June sits down beside the woman she is to protect, not caring if protocol insists she remain standing unless the Fire Lady instructs otherwise.

"Then why did you ask to come?" June inquires. She is not too thrilled about being here either, but she has to accompany Mai wherever. The minute Mai asked the Fire Lord about this, however, June wanted to scream.

Mai shakes her head. "I have no fucking idea. Honestly, I just wanted to be anywhere but in that palace. I wish I was back at war in the Colony Kingdom. It was less tense."

June laughs as if that was a joke. Mai was completely serious.

"I get that," June earnestly says. "The stress just kinda seeps out of the walls. It almost infects me, and I don't think I've ever been stressed out."

"I was cut out for fighting, not being Fire Lady. I'm horrible at it and it's boring."

"I don't see what can be so hard. Or, uh, what you're horrible at, I mean." June _did _mean that, at least mostly.

"All of it. The political part, the romantic part, the having children part." The third is remarkably hard for Mai to say. She does not know why. Perhaps she has even fooled herself into believing that it does not affect her.

"The last one is why you're so mad about Claws, isn't it?" asks June, wondering how she got into this. Oh, right, the fact that she would be dead if she did not accept this dreadful job.

"Yes." Mai does not say another word.

She does not talk about her feelings, since everyone in the world must be under the impression that she does not have them. Mai put far too much effort into that reputation to break it over something as petty as five miscarriages.

At least _some _part of her ought to remain formidable.

[X]

"These are not as enlightening as I had hoped they would be," Azula says, sliding the scrolls back under her bed. She expected to have a revelation or two, but instead she just feels icky.

Ty Lee peels her eyes from the door for the first time since Azula got them out.

"Oh, but, love, you're the smartest person I know," Ty Lee says earnestly, furrowing her brow. Her eyes plead for Azula to return the scrolls to their resting place, but she will not do it.

"I see no value in them," Azula replies. "I thought they would be more exciting, but they are just a chronological history of the Earth Kingdom. They were rescued to preserve the history of an empire, yes, but I see no reason in keeping that history around when we obliterated it."

Azula picks at the brand on her arm. It stopped being sore some time ago, but she makes it ache every so often by tearing at it with her nails. Ty Lee watches the habit, transfixed for a few moments.

"Can you really obliterate history?" Ty Lee asks, keeping her voice light and airy.

Yet, Azula sees through it. "I used to like stupid girls for a variety of reasons. The only problem with them was being forced to _talk _to them. They would talk and talk and talk and it would bore me to tears. You are not exactly like them; sometimes you say very profound things, and I think I prefer listening to you drone about birds or make-up or something else not worth my time."

"Thank you?" Ty Lee squints; she does not know if that is a compliment or not. Azula gives no indication, so she moves on. "I don't mean to offend anyone or anything. I just wonder if you can just erase something as long as those scrolls."

"I found them slightly interesting," Azula lies. She actually was wholly enraptured by them, and now that she has read them, she feels queasy. It makes her see how much was undone by a single comet and two Fire Nation royals. Sozin brought down everything in the Earth Kingdom; Azula brought down Ba Sing Se. Now she wonders if anyone remembers half of what is written on this dusty parchment.

Maybe Azula understands why it has always been so difficult to keep the people of the Colony Kingdom in line. Maybe Azula understands why her father needs to invade and further dominate the protectorates built on top of the towns and cities Sozin burned to ashes.

She stands up.

Much of what she feels after reading the stories, names and monumental events is difficult to decipher.

She thinks she feels true pity for the first time in her life.

There is not much of a difference between the fallen Earth Kingdom and the powerful Fire Nation when it comes down to the basics.

[X]

"You did not have much to add to our meetings, did you?" Ozai says to his daughter. They had been speaking about the forthcoming invasion of the Colony Kingdom with important figures, and she was not his perfect, clever weapon.

"Nothing needed to be said," Azula lies, and he believes her. The truth is, there were a thousand things she wanted to point out but the words stuck in her throat.

Those scrolls have made her uncomfortable in a number of ways. The fact that she cannot fathom exactly how or why is salt in the wounds. Why should she care about the history of a dead kingdom?

She tries to push it to the back of her mind but cannot.

Maybe she let the rebels win with the help of her subconscious.

[X]

Azula heads to the gym to train after her disappointing strategy meeting. To her surprise, her wife is there fighting three guys at the same time. Her punches fly so swiftly that Azula feels the same kind of impressed she was back at that destroyed factory.

"Want to spar with me?" asks Ty Lee as soon as she sees Azula. She walks to the edge of the ring and smiles dreamily at her wife.

"I would love to," says Azula, climbing up and turning to face her wife.

She takes a few steps back and lights her palms.

Ty Lee clenches her fists.

They run at each other.

[X]

It is Round Five and Azula must admit she has never found a better sparring partner. Due to the fact that Azula is astronomically better at fighting than anyone else, she has never been able to get this engaged in combat. She finds it exhilarating; so does Ty Lee.

After one dodge, Azula spins and it takes her a moment too long to find her opponent again. Ty Lee comes down on Azula's shoulder, but Azula turns swiftly, forcing her knee against Ty Lee and knocking her off balance a step. Azula pushes Ty Lee backwards by the shoulders and does not draw any fire. She catches Ty Lee instead, with one arm, and pulls her into a kiss.

It seems like the right thing to do. No; it is purely impulsive, but Azula would never admit to such a thing. Ty Lee responds to it so passionately that it shocks that Monster of the West. She did not expect that.

Azula reaches for Ty Lee's neck before she realizes what she is doing and rescinds the gesture. She instead breaks the kiss and steps back. Despite Ty Lee's thorough support and admiration, Ty Lee will never be fully interested in Azula and Azula has accepted that.

"This was really fun," Ty Lee brightly says, as if those are supposed to be the right words.

They are wrong. Azula does not know what the proper ones are, necessarily, but they certainly are not those.

"It was a distraction," Azula says, and those are not the right words either.

"Right," Ty Lee agrees, but she looks hurt. Hurt? Azula does not know why Ty Lee would be so _disappointed _when she is allegedly uninterested in a romantic way.

It seems she and Ty Lee cannot have an uncomplicated moment.

This relationship tires Azula to no end, but it intrigues her all the same.


	21. A True Myth

**_A/N: _**_This AU is one in which Sozin was much more successful when conquering the Earth Kingdom, causing a butterfly-effect that caused a rougher and different world where the war is against rebels rather than people of different descent. In this universe, each character is two to three years older. That is mostly for the purpose of how sexual this fic is and despite its darkness I wanted to be more appropriate. I've tried to make that AU a background and not a focus, but, for this chapter, I want to discuss it a bit more openly instead of just as hints and unimportant setting._

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: A True Myth**

* * *

Ty Lee is late in two different ways.

She only now is finishing fixing her braid after spending the morning and early afternoon extremely ill and throwing up on one of her styling servants, and now rushes to meet Azula in the front hall of the palace. They _have _to get to Fire Lord Ozai's speech and its formal reception.

It is supposed to be the most important announcement in history, save for Sozin's ninety-nine years ago. Fire Lord Sozin conquered the Earth Kingdom and annihilated the airbenders; Fire Lord Ozai probably has something just as sinister in mind.

Ty Lee would put nothing past him, but she will smile through her sickness and anger. She will be happy and cheerful and positive just as she always has been. That is her armor and oxygen.

The other way she is late is one that she previously hoped for, but now she panics over. She does not know where to go from here; she only thought out her plan of a pregnancy to this point, not beyond it.

"Hurry, will you?" demands Azula, seizing Ty Lee by the wrist and racing out the door.

They both look beautiful after hours of preparation. Ty Lee hopes Azula does not notice the wear and tear on her appearance from the sickness. It is not time for her wife to know. Not yet.

Azula secretly worries about the scrolls and the astrological notes she hopes are not true, but she refuses to let it show. It _has _helped Ty Lee hide the more obvious symptoms of her condition.

They both arrive at the Royal Plaza. Ty Lee grabs Azula's hand when she sees the same place she was when they forced her to oversee executions. The princess does not think much about it, and lets Ty Lee cling to her as they meet Fire Lord Ozai, Fire Lady Mai and a number of court members.

Ty Lee presses her body softly against her wife.

Azula does not know what to make of it.

Ozai gives the typical introduction, smoothly rambling about the integrity of their nation. He then, at last, moves on to the announcement.

"The Colony Kingdom has slaughtered our people and sown discontent. Despite our conquest and attempts to civilize the people there, they remain resentful and bite the hand that feeds them. My grandfather is mixed up with myths, yes, but one of them is true. While none may believe it until they see it, Sozin's Comet will return. We have kept this information private to protect ourselves from those who would use it against us.

"We are preparing an act of liberation that will mirror the phoenix we so admire. We will burn those who defy order and unity, and raise a better, stronger empire from the ashes. No longer will we have colonies and a homeland. They will be one strong empire rebuilding and building…"

He says more, including the announcement of an execution tomorrow and a brand new festival in a week, but neither woman of his family hears it.

Mai thinks about what she fought for a lifetime ago.

Ty Lee thinks about the family she loves and the world she left behind.

Azula thinks about the eclipse the scrolls discussed; if Sozin's Comet is real, as was transcribed, then it probably is too.

[X]

Across the ocean, Katara stands with Zuko and a handful of fellow rebels. They are in a grim stone room in the Rebel City, behind guarded doors with only their most trusted allies.

"The Fire Nation expects victory. We won't give them that," Katara passionately says. Her gaze coasts over Zuko more quickly than it does the others in the room. The air almost seems to get colder. "We know that after Fire Lord Ozai's announcement, he will be killing more of our own, and giving out important intel. We have the Ruthless Sun working security at the event, and they are on our side. They'll break out the prisoners and get them and the information to us."

Iroh assertively yet calmly says, "I was waiting to avoid alarm and gather my own information, but my own instincts lead me to believe the announcement will be about an invasion."

"I assumed too," interjects Sokka. "We know from Ty Lee and that little honeymoon that he's been planning the invasion for months, if not more."

Iroh politely shakes his head. "No, I believe the invasion will take place next year."

"Next year?" Katara cocks an eyebrow.

"Sozin's Comet," states Iroh, and Zuko stifles a laugh despite his professionalism. Maybe Uncle _is _as crazy as some allege.

Katara inquires, befuddled, "Sozin's what?"

"Comet," says Iroh with a straight face that baffles Prince Zuko. "It's a legend, to tell the truth. Not many people believe in it, but I do. It's rumored to return every century. If my brother knows more than I do, he might…"

In a whisper, Katara prompts, "He might…?"

"When Azula took Ba Sing Se, she took the astrological records with her, alone with information of strengths and weaknesses from the past, along with a number of other unrelated scrolls that should not be of any real importance," says Iroh. "They talk about that advantage for him, but I wonder if they have anything for us. You must make sure the Ruthless Sun retrieves them along with the prisoners."

"I will," elegantly promises Katara, not seeing Zuko's bewildered expression.

She hopes Iroh is right. Or maybe she hopes he is wrong, depending on what they find.

[X]

"Zuko," softly says Katara after the meeting, standing in a damp corridor beneath dancing shadows, "I've noticed that you haven't really looked me in the eyes lately and we haven't spoken very much. I never asked about your captivity in the Fire Nation, and I don't need to if you don't want to talk about it. Is something wrong?"

The disgraced prince thinks for a few moments. He does not know how to tell Katara why he struggles to look at her. Yet, he knows lying or evading the question would only increase the shame.

"I slept with Ty Lee while she and Azula were held here," he admits, rubbing his neck. He averts the golden eyes Katara fell in love with against better judgement.

Katara's eyes widen, but, other than that, she does not respond to him. He now looks at her, right into cobalt irises, and she is the one who turns away. He wonders if he will ever gaze into them lovingly again, which tears his heart to shreds.

"I…" Katara forgets what she was going to say.

She just walks away from him, out of the room, out of the fortress, into the cold morning air.

It should not hurt as much as it does.

[X]

At the party after the speech, Azula entirely neglects her wife. She goes through the motions and greets those loyal to her, but her future subjects and aids are only distractions from her troubled thoughts.

After a solid hour of worries, she looks up and notices her bride for the first time today.

Ty Lee stands, rubbing her arm, a flush on her cheeks that have been unusually pallid lately, as two boys chat her up at once. The fear turns into rage, surging through Azula and making her sick. She crosses the room, gliding between the partygoers, and she lights her fist bright blue in front of those two teenagers who think they have a right to even _look at _Princess Ty Lee.

"If you want to keep your pretty faces, you will leave," Azula snarls, and they are gone in an instant.

Ty Lee glowers, her face contorted in anger. Before, she loved seeing a boy get his throat ripped out from Azula's jealousy, but now her internal confusion becomes frustration. Princess Azula has never seen that expression on her face before, and she never would have expected Ty Lee's next words.

"Screw you!" Ty Lee screams, and storms from the room, sobbing.

Azula stands, rapidly blinking, stunned, for a few moments before her mind catches up and she follows her wife out of the hot ballroom and into the cold corridor.

Not far away, June is drunk, which she never has been before, therefore, Mai has no idea what to do about it.

Mai remembered when they used to go to bars. They were both in the Ruthless Sun at the time and stopped in the rowdiest, shadiest places they could find whenever they were not fighting the war against the rebellion.

June won an absurd amount of drinking contests without so much as a slurred word. Maybe it is lack of practice, or the anger in her that Mai had never seen before. June was never as apathetic as her ex-girlfriend, but she cared about nothing. Perhaps they cared about each other.

"Are you wasted, June?" Mai dares to ask. She knows she will receive some snide remark, but she has to ask anyway.

The news about the comet has not affected her like some people, even if she had no clue, but she doubts her bodyguard cares very much about an assault on the Colony Kingdom.

"Open bar in celebration of this marvelous military endeavor," slurs June. "I'm just taking advantage. You should approve, since you support this shit so much."

"I have no choice," Mai says.

"Of _course_. Fire Lady Mai never has a _choice_. Poor her and her struggles of not making a new little tyrant while the world burns, the Fire Nation itself gets eaten alive and people everywhere starve while they wait for their imminent death."

Mai blanches. Any compassion she felt for her ex-comrade vanishes on the spot, not that she had too much. Regardless, she takes June's arm to escort her away before she sees her husband was predictably listening in. He would never let her be near a sloshed ex, of course. June does not see it, or, at least, does not care. Mai purses her lips.

"Perhaps you should leave," says the Fire Lord. He is rather generous after such a successful announcement.

June turns to Mai instead.

"You were different. You were strong. You had actual guts and were the brains of our relationship. Look at you now. It's disgusting. All of this is disgusting. So is burning a fucking continent alive just because they say some things that aren't nice about you. You people are pathetic and I can't believe I ever loved you, Mai. I can't believe I even fucked you more than once after meeting the new, vapid Fire Lady You."

Ozai pries Mai's steely grip off of June's arm. Only now does the Ruthless Sun leader to think clearly through the haze. She knows she might not live through the night. She knows it will be easy to execute her tomorrow.

"June…" says Mai.

And June says loudly enough for half of the party to hear, "Don't even say my name, my honorable Fire Lady. We were rebels once and now you're endorsing the worst thing anyone has done since Sozin."

"You should return to your room," growls the Fire Lord to the bodyguard he had hired, and Mai is surprised at his restraint. _She _wants to punch June in the throat at the moment.

Guards take the prompt and escort the drunk and disorderly girl from the party. Mai avoids Ozai's gaze. She has just been outed as a cheating ex-rebel and does not feel very safe in any sense. He takes her by the hand however, which confuses her until he loudly says, "I would never let someone say such crude lies about you, now would I?"

The party resumes. They are deplorably trusting of authority.

He takes her to dance, and pretend all is normal.

Meanwhile, Azula and Ty Lee barely notice June being escorted past them outside of the main event.

Ty Lee kisses Azula and Azula is the one to pull away.

"I am not invested in whatever flighty affections you have. I have an empire to think about, not our two-second attention span and lack of commitment. Go flirt with half of the Fire Nation and fawn over shiny dresses," purrs Azula, her poisonous, composed arrogance burning Ty Lee's soul.

Azula glares, twisting the knife of her words. Ty Lee's heart sinks. Her hand twitches to grab her wife, but she fears Azula's wrath too much to continue the gesture.

"Why don't you love me?" Ty Lee blurts out. Her soft, sweet whisper does not soften the blow of the strong words, and she hopes she will not seem too forward or too fierce.

"We simply have not had the time, between dealing with the rebellion, and dealing with the rebellion, and, oh? What else? Dealing with the rebellion," coldly says the crown princess. "I do want our relationship to work, of course…"

Azula does not know the names of the feelings she has for the girl in front of her. She never cared about romance, even with Mai, and she never thought she would have to pay it any mind. Yet, the introduction of her _wife _and the complexity of occasionally feeling _compassion _towards someone terrifies her.

"I know," Ty Lee silkily says, leaning against the wall and further softening her posture. "I didn't mean to say that like that. I just think about it a lot."

"If anything, I should be asking you that question."

"But I love you so much." Again, Ty Lee fears she has gone too far. Azula gives no indication of her thoughts either way. "I think you're the most perfect person I've ever met. I can't help but love you even though it might not be as perfect as you."

Princess Azula chews on her lower lip.

She finds that almost impossible to believe, but she can tell when people are lying, and Ty Lee appears to be honest.

"I have no time to think about something as petty as our marriage when I just found out a myth is presumably real and I have to make sure I inherit an empire." Azula takes a step back, prepared to leave Ty Lee to her own devices. Yet, for the sake of control, she adds, "To make sure _we _inherit an empire."

Azula begins to turn. Ty Lee begs, "Please don't go," and Azula turns back to her.

"Stand on one foot," orders Azula.

Ty Lee complies, befuddled, but unable to defy her. Her mind does not even consider other options.

Azula commands, "Now stand on one hand."

Ty Lee flips over fluidly and remains in that position. She crumbles when the linen of her clothes falls down around her head. Azula smirks and suppresses laughter at the spectacle.

While Ty Lee is still collecting herself, Azula demands, "Now walk to me," and Ty Lee obeys. "Now kiss me," and Ty Lee obeys.

They stand, close enough to feel each others' breathing, and again are met with uncertainty. Neither girl was built for this, albeit for very different reasons.

Ty Lee asks quietly, "When do we start making moves of our own?"

Azula thinks of the eclipse and quietly replies, "Sooner than I anticipated."

"I do like the idea of building empires, especially ones I get to be Fire Lady of, but I'd really rather not have them be built on the skeletons of everyone I love."

Azula smirks at her wife, turns, and returns to the party.

[X]

That night, Ty Lee paces in the dark corridors. She has lost herself in thought as she considers the possibility. It is what she wanted, but she feels inexplicable fear when she thinks about the potential child inside of her.

"What brings you out at night?" asks the dry voice of her mother-in-law. Ty Lee jumps, but regains her grace and turns around to face Fire Lady Mai.

"I just…" Ty Lee rubs her neck. "I just can't sleep."

She smiles and bats her eyelashes. That usually works to keep her safe, but Mai has seen through it from day one.

"You're worried about something. Did she hurt your feelings?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant," Ty Lee blurts out, a shrill confession that stings the air.

"With whose baby?" Mai inquires, not staggered at all by the statement.

"Zuko's," whispers Ty Lee. "He's the only guy I've slept with in years. I did it on purpose, but I didn't think once would even be enough. I hoped for this but now I'm scared and I'm really confused."

"So, while you were held captive by rebels…?"

"I did it because it was a…" Ty Lee grimaces. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Maybe it was one. You lack options. If I had to choose between the two men, I think you know my preference, but you seem more like Zuko's type to me."

"Should I tell her?"

"Honestly, no, but she has to know eventually. Now, let's pretend we never saw each other." Mai slinks away in the direction of the dungeons.

Ty Lee returns to her bedroom, trying to gather her courage as she walks.

The moment she enters the room, "I'm pregnant," Ty Lee chokes out, unable to stop herself.

Azula feels her blood boil from the sheer rage. "_How_?" she asks, even though she wants nothing more than to strike her wife down with lightning. Maybe Azula is beginning to get attached to her.

"You remember when we were with the rebels?"

"How could I forget?"

"I slept with Zuko, and now I'm pregnant."

"You slept with Zuko, and now our relationship is _over_."

"But we're married. And I—"

Azula storms out of the room before Ty Lee can finish.

Ty Lee lets the tears roll down her cheeks as she wonders why Azula is so angry.

She had to have a baby somehow, didn't she?

[X]

Azula finds her father in the dead of the night. He is up looking at letters, and she intends to scream her frustrations at her wife, but she cannot voice them once Ozai looks up.

"Do you need something, little princess?"

Princess Azula tries to think of an excuse. She ends up speaking about something worse and more secret than Ty Lee's condition.

What she found in the scrolls she stole.

"Do you know about the eclipse?" she whispers. He does not speak. "If the Comet is real, then that means it probably is too."

"Of course I do. I was the one who asked for the contents of the library."

"I have been to the Rebel City. I know they have a strong following and a very capable man trained exactly as well as us in charge of them."

"If we had anything to fear from the eclipse, I would have told you. Trust me."

"That is hard to do when you have secret meetings behind my back and send me to the Colony Kingdom to die as a wedding present. You are my father and I love you, but I know you have seen me as a weapon since I was young."

"I've been through enough today with my wife, I do not need this from you."

"Just tell me I _can _trust you. Please."

He pauses and turns to fully face her.

"You cannot trust anyone, little princess. You know that."

[X]

In the dungeons, "I cannot believe you," Mai hisses. "You cannot…"

"You _cannot _pull a favor?" June rolls her eyes. "I was pretty sick of watching the new you. She's not the person I remember from the Ruthless Sun. Being executed is better than the idea of continuing my new job."

"I made my decisions. I ripped my arms open and I took that marriage brand, and I regret none of it. I like almost nothing, but I like being alive."

"You probably like not being burned to death too, or being stuck in some dead end factory town."

"I do."

"I'm just pissed off that I'm not the main event and just got added in to this mass execution. I kinda hoped when I signed up for the rebels that I'd get a more exciting death."

"We never were good rebels."

"It was fun." June shrugs. "Even _you _thought it was fun."

"I inherited the rebellion business, and, therefore, never took it seriously."

"Have you ever taken anything seriously?"

That brings a flicker of a smile to Mai's lips. "No, I haven't. I can't save you, okay? I don't even know why I'm torturing myself by seeing you."

"We're alone this time, right?"

"Yes, but I'm not having sex with you, even if it is your last night alive."

"I want to tell you that the Ruthless Sun is still loyal to me, and loyal to their next paycheck. Your brother-in-law pays very handsomely, and we're getting busted out of here before tomorrow, just like Zuko. So, don't worry about me."

"I wasn't in the first place," Mai lies.

June winks at her.

[X]

Ty Lee sits, crying by herself, when Azula walks into their bedroom.

Azula does not apologize, nor try to console her wife.

She just lies down beneath the blankets and curls up into a ball.

It is a cold, empty, and agonizing night.

[X]

Azula wakes slowly. She hears Ty Lee singing while getting dressed, and is startled her wife is up before her. It must be the first time.

_"__War was just a legend, and pain was never known  
__The people worked together and built cities made of stone  
__And they stood proud over the flatlands until water burnt them to bones—"_

"Why did water burn them to bones?" Azula asks, sitting up. "My grandfather wiped out the Water Tribes years ago. They were never on Sozin's side, since the song is about his invasion."

Ty Lee turns to face Azula, shrugging. Her eyes sparkle in the sunlight that pours through the open window and Azula feels her heart begin to race. She does not understand the nausea that has hit her like a punch to the gut.

"I don't really understand the song. I just think it's pretty. Like you. I don't understand you but I think you're pretty," Ty Lee says, closing her eyes and smiling. She seems to be pretending that she was not weeping last night, which Azula loves.

"No one understands me but me." Azula smirks.

"Can I ask you something about you?" Ty Lee whispers. Azula shrugs and nods. "Are you upset about me being pregnant because you're upset about." Ty Lee takes a few deep, panicked breaths, but she refuses to back out now. "There's not any prettier words. Are you upset because of the forced sterilization."

Azula's lips part, as shocked as if she had been slapped in the face. Ty Lee is not nearly brave enough to mention those private words they shared on their honeymoon right before being kidnapped by the rebels. Azula cannot _believe _her.

"Of course I am not. I am livid that you did this without my permission." Azula rises from bed. Ty Lee gazes at her and her beautiful form. She may be gorgeous, even if Ty Lee does not feel sexual attraction to the grand loveliness of a monster. "You are my wife and when I say jump you say how high and you may not walk five steps without asking my permission, much less screw my brother to get yourself pregnant."

"So… you don't care about being a weapon?" whispers Ty Lee. "I wondered if that was why remembering Ba Sing Se hurt you so much. Of course, I think it's really attractive and amazing that you can do such powerful things, but it would be a really bad… I can't imagine being raised that way. Not raised as a kid…"

"_Ty Lee_," snarls Azula, clenching her fists. "This is not a topic I discuss with _anyone_."

"Okay. I'm super sorry, love," Ty Lee hastily says, faintly smiling and batting her eyelashes. "I was thinking about when you talked to me about babies. You talked to me about wanting to make moves of your own. So, Sozin's Comet isn't a myth, and your dad wants to use it. But why can't _you _use it? Why should you still be his weapon and his possession?"

Ty Lee walks forward and touches Azula's waist. It does not have the effect it would on most people; Azula is steely against her charms, but it does help retain Azula's attention.

"I _could _use the Comet to claim my own empire, but I am content with his decisions," Azula purrs. She does not know, but she will not let Ty Lee believe she has any control over her wife.

"An army would follow you. You could build one. We could rule the universe." Ty Lee kisses her.

Azula shoves her away. "I have to go meditate beneath the sunrise. Enjoy your morning sickness, you cheating slut."

When Azula leaves, Ty Lee groans.

She cannot win.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_This is a quick author's note I'm reluctant to make but decided I need to in order to make this story better. Firstly, thank you so much for sticking with this fic so far and all of the wonderful support I've received; each page view and favorite and follow and review warms my heart and makes me glow, and critique helps me to improve this fic and all of my other writing. I love to see things through the lens of readers and that's always awesome and enlightening._

_The reason I bring this up is because interest in this story is waning and am wondering if I'm doing something wrong and would really appreciate knowing what you lovely readers are thinking and why this might be happening. I try to never ask, but if you have the time or any thoughts/feedback whatsoever please review and tell me what you think. _

_That aside, thank you so much for reading and I hope you're enjoying the show. _


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